Heart's Desire
by Lioness Alanna of Trebond
Summary: 16 year old Kelsie of Tirragen is one of those at the convent chosen to travel to the palace in search of a husband. However, Kelsie has other things in mind- like reuniting King Jonathan and Alanna. A/J, please R/R! **Final Chapter/Epilogue 12/31/02**
1. Lady Kelsie of the Convent

Heart's Desire  
Prologue- Lady Kelsie of the Convent  
  


Author's Note-   
I'm back, and so soon! This is an A/J fic, probably, even if neither Alanna or Jonathan is the main character. This takes place directly after Lioness Rampant- meaning that George and Alanna are betrothed, as are Thayet and Jonathan.  
  
Disclaimer-  
I don't own Alanna or Jon, or any other of the genious character's invented by Tamora Pierce. I do own Lady Kelsie of Tirragen, but Tamora Pierce owns Tirragen.  
  
  
  
The convent was home to many unusual ladies from all around Tortall. There were those that wanted to be the best lady she could be, hoping to win over the best of what the palace had to offer when it came her time to go in search of a husband. Then there were those who had no interest in finding a husband or getting married, or even in being a lady at all. And then, there was Lady Kelsie of Tirragen.  
Kelsie was a 16 year old girl with long brown hair. There were blond streaks in her hair, as if she had been exposed to too much sun, which was incredibly unusual for a girl of the convent. She had tan skin, and she had the most incredible brown-green eyes anyone at the convent had ever seen. She was short and thin, and she had a very good figure. She was beautiful in a way that no other lady at the convent was, and she had learned everything that the ladies had to teach. She was the perfect example of a lady- or so she was to sight. But once one got to know Kelsie of Tirragen, there was no doubt about it- being the perfect lady did not matter at all, and the only reason Kelsie had bothered to pay attention to her training was so that she could reach the palace. She didn't want to reach the palace so that she could find a husband and show off to everyone at court, no, Kelsie of Tirragen had a mission.  
Long ago, when Kelsie had first departed from the convent, she had come across a very strange stranger. Of course, all strangers seem strange, after all, they aren't called strangers for no reason, but this one was particularly peculiar. He had watched Kelsie to the point of him being frightening. Finally, the girl had gone up to the man and demanded an explanation of why he was following her. He apologized for frightening the girl, saying that he had a knack for picking the best of people to befriend, and Kelsie had caught his eye.  
"I have the Sight," the strange man had said.  
"And what does that have to do with me?" Kelsie had demanded. The man had then introduced himself as George Cooper, the Rogue. She had asked what exactly that meant, and the odd man had explained that he was Tortall's King of Thieves. George had caught the frightened look in Kelsie's eye when he said this, because he had said, "Don't worry yerself, lass, I'm right friendly. I won't hurt ye, I simply want to help ye." Kelsie had accepted the fact that she probably wouldn't be able to rid herself of the thief, so she chose to accept his friendship.  
During her years at the convent, Kelsie had been given time to travel along with a leader of the convent because of good behavior (she was only granted this privilege once she was twelve). Often times she went into Corus to visit George, who told her fascinating stories about a lady who had disguised herself as a boy and trained to be a knight. Of course, George only told Kelsie this once the woman's secret had been revealed to the whole kingdom. This woman very much interested Kelsie, and one day she was determined to meet Alanna of Trebond.  
Other times, George told the girl stories about the prince of the realm, Prince Jonathan. He also fascinated Kelsie. Kelsie was quite interested in things the prince had done, like how he and Alanna had defeated the Ysandir of the Black City. Kelsie had heard stories about the Black City from a girl at the convent who had lived in Persepolis for several years.   
Once George ran out of stories about the prince and Alanna, Kelsie tired of always visiting him in her vacation time. Instead of returning to Corus on her next vacation, she traveled to the desert where the Bazhir tribe Bloody Hawk lived. Prince Jonathan was the Voice of all the Bazhir tribes, and at one point Alanna had been the shaman of this particular tribe. Kelsie decided that she wanted to meet the Bazhir by the name of Kara and Kourrem, who Alanna had trained to be the first female shaman. When Kelsie told the girls that she was a friend of George Cooper, they seemed interested.  
"You are a friend of Alanna's lover, George?" Kara had asked Kelsie.  
"Lover!" Kelsie had exclaimed, "George never mentioned that small detail." Kara and Kourrem seemed amused, and they told her another thing that George had neglected to mention- Jonathan and Alanna had been lovers before. This took Kelsie by suprise, and she was curious about why things hadn't worked out. She had seen pictures of the handsome prince, and of the beautiful lady knight, and she thought that the pair would have been a good one. Kelsie wondered if the failed relationship couldn't be fixed. By all that she had heard, the prince and the Lioness were a perfect match.  
Of course, all that had been a year ago. Now the time had come for six of the girls in Kelsie's age group to be sent to the palace. This was her chance. Kelsie had no interest in a husband or anything of the sort, but Kelsie was interested in finally meeting the newly crowned king and the Lioness. Kelsie had been thinking a lot about what Kara and Kourrem had told her just last year, and she thought that there might just be a way to reunite the estranged King with the lady knight. Of course, it was nearly impossible. Everyone at the convent knew that the king had announced he was to marry a woman named Thayet, and as for Alanna, George had sent a letter saying that they were betrothed. Kelsie knew it was a stupid idea, and she knew she was just one sixteen year old girl, but could she do it? Was it possible to reunite the lady knight and the king? One thing was sure- Kelsie would try.  
However, Kelsie couldn't try if she wasn't selected. She was on even better behavior than usual, and she tried particularly hard to make a good impression, and most importantly, to stay out of trouble. The day finally came when the six were to be selected. Each lady lined up, dressed in their finest attire, each made up and looking as lovely as it was possible for them to look. Kelsie began to get nervous- what if she wasn't selected after all that work?  
The mistress of the convent looked each girl over. She gave them instructions. Each girl curtsied, served tea, and danced. Finally, she instructed them to line up again. Then she began to call out names.  
"I have chosen the six that will travel with me to Corus. Lady Amelia. Lady Jennifer. Lady Melissa. Lady Jessamyn. Lady Penelope. And lastly......." Kelsie crossed her fingers- "Lady Kelsie." Kelsie did not show her relief or her joy. But once she was safely inside her bedroom, packing, she rejoiced.  
"I'm going to Corus! There's a chance after all!"  
  
Author's Note-  
I hoped you liked it. Please review. In the next chapter, Kelsie and the others set out for the palace, where she will finally meet Jon and Alanna and start about her plan to get them back together.  



	2. The Road to the Capitol

Heart's Desire  
Chapter 1- The Road to the Capitol  
  


Author's Note-   
This MAY end up A/J, but if I told you if it did or not then it would spoil whether Kelsie succeeded or failed, and then what fun would reading this be? Right, so now Kelsie is on her way to Corus, along with five other girls and one mistress from the convent.  
  
Disclaimer-  
All I own so far is Kelsie and the other five girls from the convent that go to Corus. The rest belong to Tamora Pierce. The section of this where Alanna and Jonathan get in a fight belongs to TP. It's from The Woman Who Rides Like a Man.  
  
The girls rode with their mistress from the convent to the palace in Corus. Normally, it would be about a five days ride. However, they had no such luck. The first day, Jennifer was scared of her horse, because she said it was trying to bite her. The mistress had no idea what to say to calm her, because she too was frightened of the horse, so Kelsie spent an hour trying to calm her. When Jennifer still was too frightened to go near her horse, Kelsie offered to switch with her. The horse she was to ride was easily the slowest and most calm of all the horses at the convent. Jennifer agreed, but then when she mounted the horse, she slid right off the other side. Kelsie was frustrated. It had taken them nearly two hours just to get Jennifer on a horse. Kelsie climbed onto Jazz, patting the horse.  
"I know you would never try to bite her, you were just trying to tell her that she was doing it all wrong," Kelsie whispered into the horses ear. The horse was dark brown, just like her own hair, and it had a blond tail and mane. There was a tan star on the horse's forehead, and Kelsie was shocked to see that it had eyes to match her own.  
_I knew you would know that. That one- I just don't know with her. She is a poor rider. She has no business on a horse without training._ Kelsie about jumped out of her saddle. Had the horse just talked to her?  
_Yes, I just talked to you,_ the horse said. Kelsie had never heard of animals talking to humans before. Or had she? She vaguely remembered George telling her about Alanna's cat, Faithful, that had talked to her. He had called it something like a 'familiar', whatever that was. He had also mentioned that the horse had violet eyes that had matched Alanna's own.  
"Are you........." Kelsie began, and the horse cut her off.  
_Yes. Just as Faithful was to Alanna, I am to you. I can sense when danger is about to come, I can talk to you, give you advice, things like that. I know that you admire Lady Alanna and wish to meet her. You, just like she is, are one of those protected by the gods. The Goddess smiles upon you, Kelsie of Tirragen._   
Kelsie decided that it was probably wise not to talk to the horse anymore, just in case one of the others overheard her whispering to the horse. They were still close enough to the convent, the mistress had the power to send Kelsie back. Sighing, Kelsie made sure to sit up straight on Jazz and act as a proper lady should, but all she could think about was the fact that in a few days time she would finally be meeting Alanna the Lioness and King Jonathan.   
_Don't get your hopes up too much, Kelsie. The Lioness is often away for long periods of time, and King Jonathan is a very busy man, what with ruling a country and a wedding to plan._   
"I hope to see to it that the wedding doesn't take place," Kelsie muttered.  
_You're just as stubborn as the Lioness herself. Very well. I will help you. I don't know how I can, but I will find a way._  
"Thanks, Jazz." Kelsie relaxed a little. Then she thought to herself. What if she was wrong? What if the Lioness and the king weren't meant to be? She'd never actually met them, she might very well just be fantascizing about something stupid. I mean, Kara and Kourrem hadn't gone into detail about why Alanna and Jonathan had split up, they had just said they had. There might be a very good reason. Then again, there might not be.   
"Jazz," she whispered, "You're an immortal creature, right? Can you tell me why Alanna and Jonathan split up?"  
_Tell you? Kelsie, I can show you, if you'd like._  
"Yes please," Kelsie whispered. An image appeared in her head.  
  


~~~  
  


_ "My love, I've instructed Kara and Kourrem to pack for you. If we leave after twilight, we should have several hours of cool riding..........." The image of Jonathan spoke.  
"May I speak with you alone, Jonathan? I know Coram and Myles will excuse us." That had to be the Lioness...............  
"You didn't mention you were planning to leave today," the Lioness continued.  
"I thought you knew. If I had been with anyone but Myles, my parents would have torn up the countryside looking for me by now. I must get back." Jon again.  
"I did not say I was returning with you, and you didn't ask me before you ordered people to do my packing."  
"I assumed we'd begin preparations for the wedding. I didn't think you'd want to wait."  
"I haven't told you yes."  
"But- I know how you feel about me."  
"Being married to you is a great responsibility. I need more time to think about it."  
"More time! Be serious. After all these years, I'd think your answer is plain."  
"Not to me."  
"Stop it, Alanna. I've made enough allowance for maidenly shyness from you....."  
"Maidenly shyness! Since when have I shown maidenly shyness?"  
"Keep your voice down! Do you want the whole tribe to hear you? What's gotten into you, anyway? I thought it was all settled."  
"I said I wanted time to think."  
"That's what all women say when a man proposes."  
"Do they indeed? And you're such an expert on marriage proposals, I suppose?  
"As much as you are."  
"When I say I want time to think, I want time to think!"  
"All right, you've had time to think. What's your answer?"  
"That I need more time to think!"  
"This is ridiculous! All right, I should have remembered that you don't like people making plans without your say-so, but I thought everything was settled.........."  
"It isn't! How dare you take my acceptance for granted?"  
"Well, you certainly didn't give me reason to think you'd refuse, did you? Think carefully before you annoy me further, Alanna of Trebond. There are women who'd do anything to marry me......."  
"Then why didn't you ask one of them? You know what your problem is, Jonathan? You've been spoiled by all those fine court ladies. It never entered your mind that I might say no!"  
"And who would you take instead of me, O Woman Who Rides Like a Man? I suppose George Cooper's more to your taste..........."  
"George!"  
"Do you think I'm blind? I've seen the way he looks at you!"  
"What about all those women at the palace and the way they look at you? And I know you've had affairs with some of them! They've made you into a conceited.........."  
"At least they're women, Lady Alanna. At least they know how to act like women!"  
"I refuse to marry you."  
"And I think I'm well out of a potential disaster!"  
"Obviously! Find yourself someone more feminine, Jonathan of Conte!"  
_   


~~~  
  


Kelsie gasped. So that was the big fight? And what a fight it had been! Kelsie had never heard people yell at each other like that. Yet it was clear that they had loved each other. In the image, Kelsie had seen how Alanna had cried after the fight, and she had even been given a glimpse of a sulking Jonathan back at the palace.  
_They're friends again, Kelsie. They've somewhat forgiven each other. They're the best of friends again, although somethings different. I say, you should have seen Jonathan sulk when he found out Alanna was betrothed to George, or the way Alanna cried herself to sleep when Jon announced his marriage to Thayet._  
"D'you think I'm right, Jazz? About them?"  
_'Course. They're made for each other, let me tell you. They just are both too proud to completely put that behind him. They put it behind them enough to be friends, but they still are too stubborn to openly admit they still love each other._  
"And I have to help them."  
_Not alone, you can't. You'll make friends who can help you, I promise you will._  
Just then the mistress called for the girl's to dismount their horses. They had arrived to the place where they would stay the night. Kelsie pattecd Jazz on the neck, and went in to sleep for the night.  
  
The journey to Corus continued that way for the next four days, the other girls' babble continually growing as they grew nearer and nearer to the palace, where they would potentially find future husbands. Kelsie stayed out of their conversations, preferring to whisper to Jazz or to think of a way to reunite King and Lioness.   
At the middle of the fifth day, the city came into view. Each girl busily made sure that they looked fine, and then they rode into the city.  
When they arrived at the palace, they were escorted to their rooms, where they settled down and were told to prepare. That night there would be a ball in their honor, and they would be formally introduced, by King Jonathan himself, in front of the whole court.  



	3. Squire Matthew of the Palace

Heart's Desire  
Chapter 2- Squire Matthew of the Palace  
  


Author's Note-   
Well, as you can tell, Kelsie is now at the palace. From here on out there should be more familiar characters. Please review!  
  
Disclaimer-   
I own Lady Kelsie of Tirragen and Squire Matthew. I also own Ladies Jennifer, Jessamyn, Amelia, Penelope, and Melissa. Tamora Pierce owns the rest of the characters (probably, unless I make up more as I go along!)  
  
  
As soon as Kelsie was escorted to her room, she went to sleep. She was far too exhausted from putting up all the horses (the other girls had insisted that they were 'not capable') to babble about the nights ball with the other girls. However, Kelsie didn't sleep long before she started to dream.  
_In the distance, there was a woman standing alone. No, not a woman. A girl. A girl with brown hair and greenish-brown eyes. Kelsie.  
She was standing alone, a storm of wind surrounding her. No one could penetrate the sand if they weren't meant to. There had to be a reason for anyone to penetrate it, but no one tried. The girl was far too angry with the world and everything on it for anyone to want to penetrate her storm. Then, through the dust came a woman with red hair and a knight's shield- the Lioness. She was followed closely by the King, George Cooper, and a tall boy with black hair and black eyes to match. He looked no older than 16. No one spoke. And then the Lioness spoke three words- "You were right."  
Kelsie smiled, as did the King and the tall boy. The only one that didn't was George. Suddenly, the dust storm wrapped itself around the former King of Thieves, and he was thrown airbound. He continued to rise, and he never came back down._   
"No!" The real Kelsie woke up screaming. Sweating, she went down to the barn.  
"Jazz," she murmured, and then told her horse about the dream.  
_Hush, small one. Your dream is not coming true, I can promise you that. The Lioness and George are in town for tonight, you'll see them, I promise. They're staying here a while. And you will see that George is perfectly fine._  
"All right, then, the dream doesn't show the future? But could it have been just a simpler way of showing the future? And that boy- I've never seen him before."  
_Do you want to see him?_  
"What? I have no interest in boys, Jazz, you know that!"  
_Well, your dream seem to think that he is someone important in your future._  
"Enough about the boy- what did the Lioness mean, I was right? Could she have meant about Jonathan?"  
_She could have, but things can change, Kelsie. It could have meant anything. You'll just have to wait and see._  
  
With around two hours until the ball began, Kelsie decided it was probalbly best for her to begin getting ready. She returned to the palace rooms that were now hers. Talking to Jazz had not only not made her feel better, it had made her feel worse. Now she was nervous, anticipating something awful in the future. She didn't want anything bad to happen to George Cooper- she just wanted Alanna to love the King, not him. Shaking her head, Kelsie busied herself preparing for the ball, sure it would take her mind off of her dream.  
First she soaked in a bath, making sure that she was fully clean. Only once she had dried off did she look at the dress that had been placed on her bed by the mistress for her to wear that night. She frowned. The dress was peach, which would not go well with her. She liked the dress itself, it was a beautiful dress, noting this once she had tried it on, but she knew it didn't suit her. She had seen this in the mistress' bag, along with five other dresses, a purple, a midnight blue, a sky blue, a black, and a white. Kelsie had thought then that none of those colors really suited her, and now once again was a time when Kelsie was glad for her secret.   
None of the mistresses at the convent were aware of the fact that Kelsie of Tirragen possessed the Gift. She had been trained some before leaving Tirragen, and older girls at the convent had trained Kelsie further. Now she was a fairly good sorceress, and a decent healer. When she snuck out and ran freely outside the convent walls, she often bruised or bloodied herself, and she had had to heal her own wounds. Now Kelsie pointed at the dress, and a ball of emerald green fire arose at her fingertips. She pointed at the dress, and suddenly it was the same emerald green as her magic. Smiling, Kelsie looked into the mirror. She was satisfied with the way the dress looked on her- it was much better suited than the peach. The emerald green one made the green in her eyes stand out. She had always liked clothing, or anything, for that matter, that made the green stand out in her eyes. Kelsie loved the color green, and it was obvious, as her magic was green.  
Once the dress was fully adjusted, Kelsie, rather than doing it by hand, which took to long and never worked quite right, magicked her hair into ringlets that framed her tan face. Then she magicked her make up, too lazy to do it by hand. Lastly, she fixed her shoes, turning them from peach to emerald green. Kelsie was glad that she hadn't had to do any more than that- she had always been afraid that the simplest of magic would make her overextend herself and faint, and that wouldn't be good. She didn't need to faint- or even be exhausted- right before the ball. There came a knock on the door.  
"Lady Kelsie, it is time for us to go to the ball," her mistress ordered. Kelsie sighed and opened her door, stepping out into the hallways of the palace. Then Kelsie looked at the other girls. Amelia, who was incredibly pale, looked even paler, almost a sickly pale, in the sky blue. Jessamyn looked okay in the purple, as did Jennifer in the midnight blue. Melissa looked terrible in the white, but Penelope in the black looked stunning. Kelsie felt as though Penny were the only one that looked as good as she did, then Kelsie wondered why she was thinking these things. She didn't want a husband- but she had a feeling that there was a more important reason. Perhaps the boy in her dream would be there. He had seemed quite handsome, after all.  
The six girls, along with their mistress, descended down to the ballroom.  
  
Kelsie gasped as she saw all of the people in the room. She had never seen so many gathered in one room before, ever. She probably shouldn't be, but she was.   
The mistress led them up to a small stage, where a handsome man with black hair and sapphire blue eyes stood next to a pretty woman. So that was the King.  
Kelsie listened quietly as King Jonathan announced the new arrivals from the convent, then called them up one by one. Amelia was called first, and all the young men in the crowd seemed disappointed, but they clapped all the same. Then they called up Jessamyn, and Penelope. Many people stared at Penny, and she could tell that her 'friend' had many boys entranced with her appearance. Kelsie frowned while King Jon called up Jennifer and Melissa. Then..........  
"Lady Kelsie of Tirregan." Kelsie walked slowly up onto the stage, and she noticed that people were staring at her the same way they had stared at Penelope, except even more so. Kelsie was not quite sure how to explain the looks she got, but they did make her feel good. The mistress had always made fun of Kelsie for being short, tan, and having highlights. It wasn't her fault that she loved the sun, loved the outdoors!   
Finally, the girls were sent out into the crowd and the music started. Kelsie looked about, seeing if she could spot the Lioness. She was there, in a corner with George Cooper. She looked stunning in her violet dress. Just like Kelsie's own dress, it made Alanna's eyes stand out. George, spotting Kelsie, smiled and pulled Alanna over to where Kelsie stood.  
"Lass, there's someone I want ye ter meet. Her name is Lady Kelsie of Tirregan," George said.  
"So I heard, George. You don't have to repeat things that Jon has already made perfectly clear," she muttered.  
"Well, ye don't always listen ter the things Jon says, do ye?" The redhead shot him a furious glance, and Kelsie was tempted to laugh, but decided not to when Alanna began to speak.  
"I'm Alanna of Trebond. It's nice to meet you, Lady Kelsie, although I am not quite sure how you know my betrothed," Alanna said.  
"We met about six years ago when I was on my way to the convent. We've been friends since. I enjoy hearing all of his stories about you! Between him and my Bazhir friends Kara and Kourrem, you couldn't even imagine all of the good things I've heard about you!" Kelsie knew she was beginning to babble, but it was working, because the Lioness seemed to like her.  
Before Kelsie could say anything, Alanna was whisked off onto the dance floor by George. Sighing, Kelsie looked around some more. Not too far from where she stood Jonathan was dancing with the woman she assumed was Thayet, the future queen. It was the same woman that had been up on stage with him when he had introduced her, alongside the other girls of the convent. Someone tapped on Kelsie's shoulder. She turned around, and she would have gasped, but she knew now wasn't the time to forget her manners of do something stupid.  
"Would you like to dance?" the boy asked.  
"Of course," Kelsie said in her sweetest voice. How could she say no? She was now face to face with the boy that had been in her dream.  
"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Matthew of Golden Lake. I'm a squire here at the palace."  
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir Matthew. I am Kelsie of........"  
"I know. Everyone knows. Haven't you seen all of the people staring at you? Even the youngest of the pages and the oldest of the knights. They're all entranced. Even King Jon, in his own way. I'm very much suprised that you weren't being swarmed by men when I came up to you. I suppose it was because you were with the Lioness and Old Man Cooper." Kelsie found the boys statement to be the most shocking thing she had heard all day, and she wanted to ask so many questions. She nearly forgot her manners and asked them all at once, then decided that the matter of all the men that were supposedly entranced by her wasn't as important as finding out why Matthew had called George Old Man Cooper. He wasn't old, not really. He was only in his late twenties, or early thirties. Kelsie wasn't really positive.  
"Why do you call George that? Old Man Cooper. He's not old, at least, I don't think so," Kelsie said.  
"You know what, Kelsie of Tirragen? I have a feeling I'm going to like you. You're not like the other girls that they send here from the convent. It seems as if you actually have a personality of your own," Matthew said, and then, seeing the look Kelsie gave him, he said, "Oh, all right. Not any others call him that, Old Man Cooper. Just me. But it's not safe to explain it to you here. As it wouldn't be proper to invite a lady to my room, especially not at night, what do you say we go for a little walk after the ball? Or will your mistress miss you too much?"  
"Are you saying that I always do what I'm told? She's not the boss of me, I'll do as I please. Yes, a walk after the ball sounds fine to me." Matthew smiled.  
"That's the spirit, Kelsie. I'll see you later," he said, vanishing into the crowd as the song ended. Once he was gone, Kelsie finally had time to think about what had just taken place. She had just met the boy from her dream. And to be honest, she quite liked him. Not to mention she was curious about what Matthew had to tell her.  
The ball seemed to drag on forever, and now and then she caught a sight of Matthew. Toward the end of the ball, she even saw King Jonathan dancing with Alanna. This lifted her spirits quite a bit.  
Finally, the ball ended, and Kelsie felt a hand on her shoulder.  
"Follow me," Matthew whispered, and Kelsie did as she was told.  



	4. Kelsie's Night Out

Heart's Desire  
Chapter 3- Kelsie's Night Out  
  


Disclaimer-   
I don't own Alanna, George, Jon, etc. I do own Kelsie, Matthew, and those other stupid girls from the convent.  
  
  
  
Kelsie followed Matthew without saying a word. It was too dark to see, and Matthew took her hand in order to guide her. Kelsie was glad it was dark, because she was positive that she was blushing furiously. Finally, they were under a tree at the edge of the Royal Forest. They weren't very far away from the barn.  
"All right, why Old Man Cooper?" Kelsie demanded of the squire.  
"It's a long story." Matthew paused as Kelsie gave him the same furious glance that she had seen Alanna give George just a few hours before. Matthew, seeing this glare, cleared his throat and said, "But of course we have all the time in the world. All right, you really want to know? My big brother, Raoul, is the commander of the King's Own and he's one of Jon's best friends. He's also one of Alanna's. Raoul used to be good friends with George, too, just like the rest of them. But then Raoul told me something- something he had seen George do when he thought no one was looking, or something he had said. Raoul never really explained it to me, he said it was none of my business. Of course, he never would have said one thing if I hadn't asked him why he didn't like George like Gary and Jon and Alanna did. Raoul is stubborn, though. He still refuses to tell me what he knows, but Raoul has never lied to me. I know with all my heart he didn't make this up, Kelsie. Raoul is a pretty laid back guy, and he doesn't just stop liking someone for no reason. Especially someone that he'd been friends with for years, someone that his best friends were still really close to. I can always ask Raoul, but he says it's not important for me to know, and if it ever does become important, he'll let me know."  
"But what on Earth would George have done? He's always seemed so nice, even when he was the Rogue! He still is nice to me. He introduced me to Alanna and everything."  
"Alanna's a cool lady. I get to see her a lot because of Raoul. She helps me with training and stuff like that. She's really impressive. Raoul loves her to death. He says she's like the sister he never had. But I don't know what the deal is with George that he's got her, Jon, and Gary fooled, and not Raoul. All I do know is that I have the worst feeling that he's put them in some sort of danger."  
"Danger!" Kelsie exclaimed.  
"Listen, Kelsie, don't worry about it. When the situation becomes serious, Raould promised that he'd let me know. No, don't even start! My brother would never lie to me, Kelsie, and he never has."  
"Well, then why............"  
"Can we change the subject?"  
"All right, fine, we can change the subject. Is the Lioness really as good as I've heard? I've never actually seen her fight."  
"The Lioness? She's the best warrior I've ever seen. She's easily the best in Tortall. I mean, she's no Shang Warrior at hand to hand combat, but she knows a thing or two. And she learned from the Dragon- the former Dragon, that is. The only one that ever came close to beating her with a sword was Alex of Tirr...................." Matthew's voice trailed off and he looked at Kelsie, thinking. They sat in silence, both thinking about the person Matthew had just mentioned. Then Matthew broke the silence.  
"Was he......... I mean, were you.......... What I'm trying to say is................" Kelsie cut him off angrily.  
"Half. He was my half brother. His mom died when he was born, and then Father remarried to Mother. I never realized he went quite so............ bad. I never expected it from Alex. I mean, we weren't exactly the closest siblings on the planet- I'm sure you and Raoul are probably much closer than Alex and I were, but still. I mean, he was family, after all, even if we argued a lot. It hurts to think about him. I think about how he went over to Duke Roger, and how he tried to kill them.......... Your brother, Sir Gary, the Lioness, King Jonathan, and Goddess knows who else! I wish............ I wish there were someway I could have stopped him. Sometimes I feel like it's my fault, like the fact that I was born pushed him over the edge. And I wonder if............" Kelsie stopped abruptly.  
"If what?" Matthew asked her gently.  
"Why am I telling you all this? I barely know you!"  
"I could ask the same thing. Why did I tell you about what Raoul says about George?"  
"I don't know. Why did you?"  
"Something just told me that I......... That I needed to trust you. Like you were an important part of the puzzle, a part of the puzzle that I can't figure out where it goes. As soon as I saw you, Kelsie, I knew that you were someone I needed to get to know better. And the first step to getting to know someone better is by talking to them, even if you tell them things that you prefer to keep to yourself." Matthew looked down at Kelsie again, and she met his gaze.  
"You know something? You're right. And............ You know what you said? About me being a missing piece of the puzzle? Someone that you just felt like you needed to trust. I felt the same thing." She smiled, just a little smile, but a smile all the same. Matthew smiled back.  
They sat under the tree talking for a long time. Kelsie told Matthew all about Tirragen, and then he told her about Golden Lake. They talked about her training at the convent, and then about his training to be a knight. They talked about the King, Alanna, Gary, Raoul, and many other figures in the palace. They talked about the Bazhir, and about other countries. Kelsie felt as though there were nothing they hadn't talked about. She had even gone so far as to tell him what she thought about the Lioness and the King being together. Matthew grinned wickedly when she told him this.  
"Alanna and Jon! How brilliant! I never thought of it. One of the Bazhir that visited from Bloody Hawk told me some vague thing about them once being lovers, but I never really gave it a second thought. This is brilliance, Kelsie. If there's any way I can help you get them back together, just let me know!" Matthew smiled. Kelsie smiled, too. It was good to know she had someone she could count on. Kelsie finally looked away from Matthew's gaze- his eyes were so friendly!- and gasped in horror. In the distance, the sun was beginning to creep up from behind a hill.  
"Mithros, we've been here all night! Matthew, if my mistress catches me not in my bed, I may never get a chance to put my plan in action- I'll be sent back to Tirragen, or worse, back to the convent! We have to hurry! What's the quickest way back to the area of the castle where the girls from the convent are staying?"  
"Follow me," he said.  
"But won't you get in trouble if they catch you? Just tell me and go back to your own quarters, before you get in trouble." He pulled on her hand again and led her off at a run in the direction of the palace.  
"I won't get in trouble. My brother's my knight master, and he doesn't really care what I do, just as long as I don't do anything stupid that'll get myself killed. He'll probably think it's funny that I was out all night talking to a girl from the convent. He says I'm just like he was at his age- and he always avoided the ladies. He couldn't stand balls and things like that. All he cared about was his training."  
"And are you really like that?" Kelsie asked mysteriously, now used to the feeling of his hand in hers (and quite enjoying it).  
"Maybe," Matthew said, "You'll just have to wait and see. We have to be quiet once we get into the palace, so that we don't wake anyone up. And if we come across anyone, we have to pretend that we just happened to be up early."  
"How can we do that? We're still in our clothes from the ball," she pointed out, looking down at her emerald green dress, which, despite being slightly dirty and wrinkled, still looked beautiful.   
"Nothing wrong with that," Matthew commented, nodding toward her dress. Kelsie blushed slightly, trying to hide her face from Matthew's gaze. He opened the door slowly, and suddenly the two were silence. Kelsie was relieved for the silence, afraid that she would say something stupid. He led her through the hallways, and before she knew it they were in front of her room. Matthew let go of Kelsie's hand, and then bowed to her.  
"Farewell, Lady Kelsie. I shall see you again, I hope," Matthew said. Then, before Kelsie knew what was happening, Matthew had kissed her gently on the lips. Kelsie opened her mouth to speak, but Matthew was already halfway down the hall.  
Slowly, Kelsie opened the door to her quarters and changed into her sleeping clothes. She felt the strangest feeling, something she had never felt before. She wasn't sick, this was a good feeling. She felt as if she was........... She couldn't find the words to describe it. She felt as if she were floating. She looked down at the dround, but her feet were both firmly planted on the ground. Kelsie flopped down on the bed, and pulled the covers over her, even though she was already plenty warm. She smiled, despite the fact that in about two hours her mistress would be waking her up. If she was lucky, maybe they would be granted a bit of free time when she could sleep. It didn't matter that much, though. All Kelsie knew was that she never wanted to let go of this feeling.  
  


~~~  


  
Two hours later (or at least, she thought it was two hours later), Kelsie felt someone shaking her awake.   
"Five more minutes," she moaned.  
"Kelsie, wake up, it's me!" the voice said.  
"Matthew!" Kelsie cried, sitting up straight, "What are you doing here? How'd you get into my room?"  
"Don't ask, Kelsie, it doesn't matter. Just hurry up and change. I'll be waiting right outside in the hall, allright?" Kelsie nodded, and Matthew closed the door behind him. Quickly she changed into a violet dress. She combed her hair of ringlets into a ponytail, and then she washed her face. She looked at her reflection. She didn't look as beautiful as she had last night at the ball (or afterward, with Matthew, she thought with a smile) but she looked fine just the same. She wasn't nearly as tired as she had been, and when she looked out her window, she saw why. The sun was already high in the sky- it was already noon!  
She slipped out the door, and greeted Matthew properly this time.  
"It's noon! Why didn't anyone wake me before this?"  
"One of the other girls from the convent- she was flirting with me, so I decided to get all the information I could out of her- said that her mistress had allowed one of the girls to stay in their quarters because she had fallen ill."   
"Ill?" Kelsie asked, puzzled, and Matthew grinned wickedly.  
"I figured you would need more sleep than just an hour or so, so I wrote a note to your mistress and left it on your door. It explained that you felt ill when you went to bed last night and that you wished to spend the morning resting. I knew you'd need to be well rested for this."  
"Well rested for what?" she asked, and Matthew grinned again.  
"Come on, we can't be late for a meeting with the King," Matthew insisted.  
"The King! Matthew, how did you........."  
"No questions. I'll explain later. Just come on." Grinning, Kelsie followed.  
  
Author's Note-  
So there you have it! In the next chapter, Kelsie finally meets Jon.  
Please review, and I hope you enjoyed it!  



	5. Jonathan of Contè

Heart's Desire  
Chapter 4- Jonathan of Contè  
  


Disclaimer-   
I do not own Jonathan, Alanna, etc. They belong to Tamora Pierce. I do own Kelsie, Matthew, Jazz, etc.  
  
  
  
Kelsie gaped at Matthew. She was finally going to meet the King, after years of hearing stories about the man. Of course, she had seen him in person the night before when he had introduced the girls from the convent to the whole court at the ball. But actually speaking to him- well, that was something different altogether.   
"Stop staring. You'll walk faster that way. Don't want to be late to meet King Jon, do you?" Matthew said.  
"But how did you arrange this? For me to meet the King?" Kelsie demanded. Matthew just grinned.  
"Well, Jon, Alanna, Gary and Raoul- and it used to be Alex, too- are best friends, and me and Raoul have always been close, so now I'm good friends with the King, his champion, and his cousin. Jon has time for us just about whenever we want him, even if he is king, and any friend of mine is a friend of his, and vice versa. So naturally when I told him and Gary and Raoul about you at breakfast, they all wanted to meet you, but Jon, being his kinglyness that he is, gets to meet you first," Matthew explained. Kelsie laughed.  
"They all want to meet me? That's ridiculous! Why would they want to do that?"  
"Why not? You're smart, pretty, funny, and you aren't like the other girls from the convent. All they talk about is how good their manners are or how much money their families have, and all they care about is how they are on the outside. Even if you weren't beautiful, I'd like spending time with you, but even the most beautiful of those snobs isn't worth the time of day. You wouldn't catch them dead sitting under a tree all night with someone they didn't really know, talking about their past, and their family. And if they did, they certainly wouldn't be honest about it. Face it, Kelsie, you're different- and that's definitely a good thing." By this point, Kelsie was sure that her face was bright red, and quickly, she tried to think of a way to change the subject.  
"What do you think of the Queen-to-be? Thayet?" Kelsie asked.  
"Thayet? She's great. She's really nice, and she's the most beautiful woman at all of court, and she definitely has what it takes to be queen. You really ought to meet her, I know you'll like her," Matthew said.  
"But if Thayet's so wonderful, then why are you going to help me try to get Jon back together with..........." Kelsie began, but Matthew cut her off.  
"Oh, Thayet's fantastic, but she's not right for Jon. You can tell that they love each other, but not the same way. They're just not....... They're just not the perfect match. They like each other's company, they love each other in a best-friend kind of way, the way Jon claims he loves Alanna, but you can tell when he's around her. He seems to glow, because he's so happy."  
"What about her? Alanna? Does she feel the same way?"  
"I think. She's a lot harder to tell with. She's gotten good at hiding things. I guess disguising yourself as a boy for eight years will do that to you, though. Every now and then, she nearly slips up, and I start to see something- but then it's gone, just as fast as it came. Never mind that, though, we're nearly there, and you don't want Jon to hear you talking about his love life, do you? It's this one."  
Matthew knocked on the door that they had stopped in front of, and Kelsie stood nervously next to him while he knocked on the door. On the other side, she heard a male voice call, "Come in." Matthew opened the door and led Kelsie into the room. It had bookshelves full of old books in gold lettering. There were paintings on one wall of Jonathan and the people she assumed were his parents, Roald and Lianne. On one side of the room was a chair with documents piled on it, and in the center was King Jonathan himself. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen, with his charcoal black hair and his sapphire blue eyes. She looked into them, and she thought that she could look into them forever. However, she remembered who she was in the presence of, and she curtsied. Jonathan smiled, and said.  
"Welcome. You must be Kelsie of Tirragen." Kelsie nodded dumbfoundedly.  
"Yes, your Majesty," she said, her voice shaking.  
"Jonathan will do," he said to her, then he turned to Matthew.  
"Hey, Matthew. Enjoying your afternoon off? You should be in the city, not in the castle with me!" Jonathan said.  
"Oh, don't get me wrong, that's still my destination. I'm heading there after this- I'll still have plenty of time."  
Jon grinned, then said "Heading to the Dancing Dove?"  
"Of course! I love seeing the thieves, and I'm the only one they don't recognize as one of George's new people because they never met me when he was still the Rogue," Matthew said, then smiled, "Plus, they don't realize I'm a squire. They have no idea that I'm really there to listen for any knowledge of plots against you."  
"Have you heard anything, then?"  
"Not a thing, yet. After the coronation, no one has dared mess with you- yet. If I do hear anything, I'll be sure to let you know."  
"Thanks, Matthew," Jonathan said, and then turned back to Kelsie.   
"Sorry I've ignored you, but I needed to ask Matthew about business with the thieves, you see. It's a rather important matter," Jonathan added.  
"It's quite all right, majesty," Kelsie said, curtsying once more.  
"Jon," he corrected, "And please, sit down. You're making me uneasy with all this curtsying and calling me majesty." He gestured towards two chairs that were facing his desk. One was already occupied by Matthew.  
"Of course- Jonathan," she said, and took the other seat.  
"Now, I've heard a great deal about you, Kelsie."  
"You can't have heard much, sir. After all, I've only been here since yesterday, and I've only just met anyone at the ball."  
"You'd be amazed at how much you can be told at one meal," Jon said, and grinned at Matthew.  
"Well, majesty-" she caught Jonathan about to open his mout and correct her, but instead she corrected herself- "I mean, Jon, are you sure all you've heard is true?" Jon grinned.  
"Matthew, you're right. I am going to like this girl," he said.  
"But how can you tell?" she demanded.  
"I'm not sure. But I've always been able to. I could tell right off with all of my closest friends- Alanna, George, Raoul, Gary, and of course Matthew. Do you know what I mean?" Kelsie stared into Jon's blue eyes- and she, of course, believed every word he said. She had always been able to tell the same thing about people- and she got that feeling around both Matthew and Jon.  
"I do know what you mean. I have the same thing."  
"And what do you think of me, Kelsie of Tirragen? Do you think that you'll enjoy being a friend of mine." Kelsie looked the man in the eyes once more.  
"Yes," she said.  
"Kelsie has the Girft, Jon, just like us," Matthew said suddenly. Kelsie thought that maybe he was beginning to feel left out.  
"Do you, then? Hvae you been trained? From what I hear, they usually don't train the girls at the convent."  
"Yes, I've been trained. I trained in secret."  
"Oh, really, then. What are your specialties? Are you a Healer, or a Seer, or......." Jon's voice trailed off.  
"Healer. And I'm a very strong sorceress," she added quietly, "Or at least, the woman who trained me said I was."  
"A Healer? So is Alanna. You remind me a lot of her, in some ways," the King said quietly. She saw a flash of pain in his sapphire eyes when he mentioned his former lover.  
"And also, the woman who taught me said I have some special kind of magic- she called it Heart's Desire magic. She said she couldn't train me, though."  
"Hmmmm. Interesting. We'll make sure that you find someone who can train you. I have heard of Heart's Desire magic, but I've never met anyone that has it. What color is your magic, Kelsie?"  
"Emerald green, sir- I mean, Jon," she said.  
"Of course. The color of your Gift sort of represents one's personality, or at least a very important part of them. My Gift is sapphire blue, just like my eyes," he said, smiling.  
"Mine's yellow! Yellow! What does yellow have to do with me? Nothing!" Matthew said, and both the King and Kelsie burst out laughing.  
"At least you have a Gift, Matthew," Jon said.  
Matthew nodded, then said, "Unlike Raoul. He says he'll never understand why I got the Gift, and not him."  
"My half-brother didn't have the Gift, either, but I do. It's not unusual," Kelsie said.  
"Both the Trebond twins had the Gift," Jon said, then focused his attention back on Kelsie.  
"Half-brother, you say? Would that be Alex?" Kelsie nodded. "We were good friends."  
"I know," Kelsie said, the happiness in her voice having vanished, "He always wrote to me about you, and Gary, and Raoul, and Alan- or should I say, Alanna. But most of all, he wrote about Duke Roger," she said, her voice now almost a whisper. Jon looked her in the eyes, and Kelsie could tell that this was a subject neither of them wanted to talk about.  
"Matthew, you'd best go if you want to go to the city," he said. Matthew nodded.  
"Why don't I take Kelsie? I could show her around Corus," he offered. Kelsie could see the relief in Jon's eyes. Obviously, she had not been the only one who had noticed that both she and the King wanted out of that conversation.  
"That's a good idea. I'll see you both in the morning, then," he said, and he faked a smile as they walked out of the room and headed towards the city.  
  
  
Author's Note-  
Well, then. The end of the chapter would suggest that the next chapter will be about Matthew and Kelsie in the city, but most likely, it will actually be about a character that is in the books that becomes very important later in this story. I'll give you a clue- she's seriously evil! Until then, please review!!!!!  



	6. Delia of Eldorne

Heart's Desire  
Chapter 5- Delia of Eldorne  
  


Author's Note-   
So that's the suprise character, ay? Why is she involved- wait and see!  
  
Disclaimer-  
Kelsie of Tirragen, Matthew of Golden Lake, Jazz, Lady Amelia, Lady Jessamyn, Lady Jennifer, Lady Penelope, and Lady Melissa belong to me. Jon, Alanna, Alex, Thom, George, Gary, Raoul, Thayet, Delia, Roger, etc. belong to Tamora Pierce. Heart's Desire magic is mine.  
  
  
Jonathan sat in his study, thinking. He had just had a very peculiar talk with Kelsie of Tirragen, one of the ladies of the convent. How strange it had been for him to look at her and know that Alex was related to her. Jon remembered a time not all that long ago when Alexander of Tirragen had been one of his closest friends, and then he remembered more recent times, when Alex had assisted his uncle in trying to take the throne, and had many times tried to kill Alanna, who had in the end killed Alex. To get close to another Tirragen..........  
Of course it was the right thing. Kelsie was a wonderful person, according to both Matthew and George, and Jonathan got the same feeling around her that he had gotten when he had first met the Golden Lake boys, that feeling of trust and friendship and respect. Though Jon hated to admit it, he had never quite gotten that feeling around Alex.  
Jon didn't want to be nosy, but he had a fear that Roger had left behind a plot, Roger knowing that there was a chance he would die trying to kill Jon and ruin Tortall, as he had. Delia of Eldorne was the only known associate of his left living (Ralon of Malven/Claw, Princess Josiane of the Copper Isles, and Alex had all died on the day of the coronation) and she was sentenced to a life of imprisonment. However, knowing Roger there had been others, others that had not been caught and were still out there plotting to destroy. Perhaps Alex had had documnets about these plans that had somehow gotten back to his half-sister......................  
I'll ask next time I see her, Jon thought to himself. Then his thoughts shifted to another part of their conversation. Kelsie had said that she had a power called Heart's Desire. Jon had heard of this power, and it was highly useful in some situations. It showed a person's hearts desire, and a very powerful mage would be able to expand the power to mind-reading. Kelsie could easily have that power, and it would uncover many plans that needed his attention.   
Lost in his thoughts, Jon finally looked up when there was a harsh knock on the door.  
"Come in," the King called once again, just as he had less than an hour ago.  
A man in uniform rushed in. Jon recognized the uniform- he was a guard at the Palace Prison.  
"Majesty, your presence is requested in the prison," he panted. He seemed as if he had run through the hall.  
"And who requests my presence?"  
"Delia of Eldorne, Sire. It's urgent."  
"Urgent? Unless she is breaking out of jail as we speak, I see nothing urgent that a woman in prison could have to say," he said, but he continued following the guard just the same. The guard looked him in the eye gravely.  
"She's dying, Majesty."  
"Dying!" Jon raged, "I am supposed to be alerted if someone in my court is dying, whether they are jailed or not. Why was I not told of this before?"  
"It never seemed bad, Majesty. But when I came on duty, she was all weak, and she was delirious. Insane, like. Said she'd been dying since before your coronation, just never told anyone."  
"Damn!" Jon cursed. Delia had been his last connection to any plans that Roger had left behind.  
"Majesty, right back here," he said, leading Jonathan to the back of the prison where the more dangerous prisoners were held. Jon knew that Delia was held in one of the top security vaults.  
"Will I be permitted to speak to her alone?" Jon asked.  
"I don't see why not, Majesty. She's behind bars- even the strongest warrior couldn't break through her bars, much less a dying woman. And she can't be so dangerous in this state."  
"Thank you."  
"Here we are- I'll leave you be, Majesty." They came to a stop in front of a cell containing a weak, sickly woman. Had she been healthy, she would have been just as beautiful as she had been years before, but now she looked blah, dressed in her prison uniform and without any make-up. The guard turned around and left.  
"Hello, Jonathan," Delia said in an icy voice.  
"You don't seem delirous to me, Delia," Jonathan said, his voice equally cold.  
"It's called acting, Jonathan. I would think that my past performances would have proven that by now. 'Oh, Jonathan, you're sooooo wonderful'," Delia crooned in the voice that she had used on Jon years before, then she spat, "Fool! I had you wrapped around my finger, just like in Roger's plan, but you let Alanna of Trebond ruin His Grace's plan for a better Tortall- without you."  
"I should have known. What was so urgent that you had to fake being delirious and dying so that you could get to me?"  
"Urgent? Oh, it's not urgent yet. It will be one day, when you're about to die, like I am. I wasn't lying about that. But unlike me, you won't have another chance to finish off things you needed to do."  
"What are you talking about?" he demanded in his most commanding voice.  
"That's what you're supposed to figure out, Jonathan. And once I'm dead, which won't be that long, you'll be sorry, because there won't be any slip-ups this time. You will die, Jon. I promise."  
"Aren't you scared of death?"  
"Scared of death? I'm not dying- just my body. And who need this little weakling body anyway? It certainly was beautiful to live in, but beauty is no longer what I need to succeed. It's power. And I will get it."  
"What are you saying, Delia?"  
"What I'm saying, Jonathan, is that when you think you're safe, you're not. When you least expect it, from who you least expect it, you will be struck down. And I will be there, laughing."  
"What do you mean, Delia?" No response.  
"Delia? Delia?" Gently, he shook the woman through the bars. She had been standing there, hanging on to the bars, face to face with Jon. He watched as she fell to her side and lay, motionless and silent, on the cold floor.  
"Mithros! I've never witnessed anyone dying like this," he said, and stared at the dead woman, still smiling cruelly even in death, and then he retreated back to his quarters.  
  
Later that night, Jon sat alone in a chair by the fire. He was still unnerved by his meeting with Delia, and he wanted to speak to Kelsie of Tirragen immediately. He had sent a messenger to ask for her to come to his study.  
Jonathan let Kelsie in when she knocked, and then he gestured for her to sit down. She sat, and he sat across from her.  
"I suppose you've heard about the death of Delia of Eldorne," he said. Kelsie nodded.'  
"Have you heard rumors about the conversation I had with her just before she died?"  
"Not yet, I've only just returned from Corus, but I spoke to Lady Alanna and she said she's heard at least a dozen different ones."  
"She knows what really happened down there. And I need you to know, because you may be able to help." Jon explained to Kelsie about the conversation he had had with Delia, and then he turned to her.  
"Do you have anything of Alex's that may help me figure out what she meant?" Kelsie nodded.   
"They're in my quarters. I carry them with me, though I've never looked at them. I'm...... I'm afraid to."  
"I understand. This is important, though, and I ask you to please look at them. If you'd rather look at them alone first, I understand." Kelsie shook her head.  
"I'd rather not, Jonathan. I don't mind letting you see them when I do."  
"Thank you, Kelsie. You don't know how much this means to me." Kelsie smiled, and promised Jon that first thing after breakfast she would go through Alex's things with him.  
  
Author's Note-  
I know this is sort of short, but it needed to happen on it's own, seperate from other things in the story. Next chapter we see if Alex's things help.   



	7. The Trunk Beneath the Bed

Heart's Desire  
Chapter 6- The Trunk Beneath the Bed  
  


Disclaimer-   
I do not own Delia, Jon, Alanna, etc. I do own Kelsie, Jazz, Matthew, etc.  
  
  
The next morning, Kelsie sat in bed nervously. She wasn't so sure that she wanted the King to see Alex's things, as she herself had never seen these things, and she had sort of hoped that when she was ready to see them, she would be able to do it in private. She didn't want to have a bad reaction to Alex's possessions in front of Jonathan, for Mithros sake!  
Slowly, she prepared for breakfast. She pulled on a lavender blouse and a violet skirt, and brushed her hair so that it fell softly around her shoulders. Quietly, she left her room and headed down to the dining hall. Matthew was seated next to Jonathan, Alanna, and two men she assumed were Gary and Raoul. There was an empty chair next to Matthew, and he motioned for Kelsie to come sit with him. Reluctantly, Kelsie got her food and sat down next to Matthew.  
"Kelsie, this is my brother, Raoul, and this is Jon's cousin, Gareth the Younger of Naxen. Call him Gary. Guys, this is Kelsie of Tirragen." Both Raoul and Gary kissed her hand, and said they were pleased to meet her, then resumed the conversation they had been having with Alanna.  
"I still can't believe she's really dead," Gary said, and Kelsie knew right away that they were talking about Delia.  
"Get off of this, it's been discussed more than necessary. Until I find out what Delia meant by her threats, there will be no more discussion of Delia of Eldorne, you hear?" Jon said, and the three nodded.  
"Lady Alanna, where's George?" Kelsie asked.  
"Please, just Alanna. George says he doesn't feel well. He asked to be left alone for several hours so that he could sleep." Kelsie nodded, but something didn't feel right. She shook it off when the King asked her if she was ready to go through Alex's things.  
"Yes, sir," Kelsie said.   
Kelsie led Jonathan into her quarters, and he sat in a chair while Kelsie went back into the main part of her bedchamber. She pulled a trunk from beneath her bed. It was painted emerald green- Alex had painted the trunk that color because of her. She had never opened it before, though.  
Next Kelsie went to her own trunk, and pulled things out left and right until she got to the item she wanted. It was a small box, made of cardboard, with a lid that was too big for it. Inside were letters that Kelsie had received from Alex while he had been at the palace. She didn't fancy showing the King her personal things, but she knew that he needed to see the letters- there was plenty about Delia of Eldorne, Roger of Contè, Ralon of Malven, and Josiane of the Copper Isles in the letters.  
Kelsie set the box on top of Alex's trunk, and then dragged the trunk out into the main room. Jonathan looked at the trunk in awe.  
"You have all this?" he asked.  
"Most of it is probably just his clothes. And in the small box are letters he wrote to me while he was here. I know there's some stuff about Delia in them, and about the others, too." Jon nodded appreciatively.  
"If you want, I'll read the letters while you go through the trunk. Would you like to do that?"  
"Yes, sir. Thank you."  
"Don't call me sir."  
"Yes, Jon." Jon sat on the couch and put the box by his side. He took off the lid and pulled out the first letter, then began reading to himself.  
Kelsie used her magic to break the lock (she didn't have the key) and then opened the top of the trunk. On the very top were Alex's breeches and shirts. His knight's uniform was below that, followed by some books on sorcery.  
"But Alex wasn't a sorcerer," Kelsie murmured to herself.  
"They were for Roger. Alex did all his research for him," Jonathan said in response. Kelsie nearly jumped when he spoke, she hadn't been expecting a response.  
"Oh," Kelsie said. She continued to go through Alex's things. There were some nice clothes that he wore to balls, and there were several different weapons- a sword that must have been his back up, an axe, a dagger, a bow and arrow. She lay everything on the bed.  
"Nothing that I see in here is useful," she cried in frustration, and pounded her fist on the empty bottom of the trunk. It moved. Kelsie stared at the panel and then picked it up. Underneath it, it looked almost like another lid. There was a lock on the top.   
"Jon, I think I've found something," she said. Jon dropped the letter he had been reading and came over to Kelsie. He looked at the panel.  
"Should I try and use my magic to unlock it?"   
"I suppose," she said, and a ball of sapphire fire came to Jon's fingertips. Kelsie watched as he flung the magic at the lock- and it did nothing.  
"Unbelievable. It won't unlock!" Kelsie looked at the frustrated man, and then she took the axe, and hurled it at the bottom of the trunk. The axe bounced off the trunk, and landed across the room in the door to Kelsie's bedchamber.  
"Woah. Alex must have gotten Roger to put some really strong magic in this trunk. We have to find out what's in there. Is it all right if I take it to the mages and see if they can figure it out?" Kelsie nodded.  
"Sure. But- I can keep the rest of the stuff, right? His clothes, and his weapons, and all."  
"Of course. Those do them no good. I better take this to the mages now- the sooner we find out what's in it, the better. I'll come back later to get the letters, all right?" Kelsie nodded.   
"In the meantime, will you read some of them and see if there's anything useful?"   
"Sure thing."  
"Thanks," Jon said, and he picked up the trunk and went to the door.  
"Oh, by the way- one of the mages has Heart's Desire. I'm going to see if he's train you. That talent of yours could come in handy, Kelsie." And the King walked out the door, trunk and all.  
After Jonathan had left, Kelsie picked up the box of letters, and she saw one pile that Jon had started- the ones he had already read. Then she picked up the first one in the pile of unread letters.  
  
Dear Kelsie,  
How is life at the convent? I got your letter asking about the newly uncovered Alanna of Trevond- she has left Court. I suppose you must have heard about my Lord's death at the hand of the Lioness. It was a disgrace, an outrage. A woman defeating the most powerful sorcerer there is! Well, I suppose there are ways to bring him back. Delia says that we should try and convince Thom of Trebond. I want nothing else to do with the Trebond twins! Alanna always made me look bad when she was Squire Alan, and she outsmarted me on a number of occasions when I was ordered to kill her. Roger was so disappointed with me when I failed- with the ice-skating, then with the practice sword fight. And after I failed, she was able to uncover Roger, and then kill him in front of the whole court. Thank the Dark God that Alanna has left Corus to go on adventures elsewhere. Perhaps we should send the thief Claw (Ralon of Malven, you know, I'm sure I've told you) after her so that he can kill her. How nice that would be. Delia, however, thinks that more important is raising Roger from the dead,. She says if we play things just right, play with his pride, then he'll vow to do something stupid- like bringing Roger back- so that he can prove how powerful he is., The man is a great sorcerer, but he is also a real idiot. Delia and I got into a fight about it, too. She insisted that we needed Roger back, but I told her that the two of us were perfectly capable of carrying out Roger's plans without him. Of course, in the end she convinced me we needed Roger. You know how she plays with your mind. That's part of what I love most about woman. And you'd best not let anyone know about my relationship with Delia. We've been through a lot together, and in the end she always comes back to me. I remember when Roger's duty for her was to pretend that she loved Jonathan and make him fall in love with her. It was terrible, pretending to Jon that while he was in fights with Delia I wasn't off sleeping with her behind his back. Delia always pouted and made fun of Jon, saying that I was obviously the better man, Mithros, Kelsie, that woman is so manipulative.   
  
  
Kelsie dropped the letter in horror. Alex- and Delia? That was something she had not remembered from before! She had never met Delia of Eldorne, and now it was too late, but she had the feeling that she would not have liked Delia of Eldorne very much. The things that Kelsie had heard about Delia were th not exactly flattering, though. The fact that even Delia's lover had thought that she was manipulative and played with people's mind only proved things.  
There was a knock on the door. Kelsie opened the door to find herself face to face with the Lioness.   
"Jonathan said that you had a lot of stuff to go through of Alex's. I'm here to help, and see if any of his letters are of any use."  
"Oh, I found one that may be of use, Lady Alanna. I think you should read it." Kelsie handed Alanna the letter that she had just read. Alanna read through it, and then she fell over in a dead faint.  



	8. Heart to Heart

Heart's Desire  
Chapter 7- Heart to Heart  
  


Author's Note-  
So why did Alanna faint? Answers in this chapter  
  
Disclaimer-   
I don't own Alanna, Jon, Alex, Delia, Roger, etc. I do own Kelsie and Matthew.  
  
  
Kelsie gasped when the Lioness fell. She picked up the letter again- and realized that it was not the same one she had read a few minutes ago.  
  
Dear Kelsie,  
Well, the day draws nearer. Roger is on end, as is Josiane. Ralon is the most nervous, though, because we are all already angered at him. As for myself and the lovely Delia of Eldorne, well, we're much more relaxed. We have faith in our plan- and in what Roger will leave behind, should he die in the process. All we have to do is hope that at least one of us (Delia, Ralon, Roger, Josiane, or I) makes it through Jonathan's coronation alive. And, of course, the Chosen One must live, or our plan does no good. I really should not give the details of the plan to you, Kelsie, but here it is. On coronation day, Roger has big plans. I can't go into detail now- I've already given you the most important bits and pieces in my previous letters. Should something go horribly wrong, however, and any of us die at the coronation, well, let's just say that we are prepared for something to go wrong. After all, Alanna and Jonathan and thier friends have ruined our plans before. Should that happen this time, Roger has planted magic in each of us, magic so that our bodies will die but our mind will take over the body of another. We have chosen a few people close to Jon who would be good canidates to take over, but one in particular stuck out. However, should the Chosen One die, Roger has prepared it so that our three choices are either Gifted or Roger has planted the ability to steal magic in them. However, this tool that they've been given, they know nothing about it, and it can only be activated once either myself, Delia, Ralon or Josiane has taken over. However, once we have taken over, it can take months for us to gain control and we will not strike for at least three to four months.   
Well, Kelsie, I'd best go. As the coronation is only two days away, we have gone into overtime going over plans again and again. Nothing can go wrong this time. But if it does- best of luck to you, kid.  
-Alex  
  
Kelsie looked at the letter again. Magic- inside of one of Jon's closest friends? Roger's magic? And that was what Delia's threat meant- that she would be living again, inside of one of Jon's closest friends, waiting to strike. She could understand why the Lioness had fainted.  
Kelsie used her Gift to revive Alanna. When Alanna sat up, the first thing she asked was "Where'd the letter go?"  
"Right here, Alanna," Kelsie responded.  
"I need to take it to Jonathan immediately! Delia- living as one of our closest friends? Heaven forbid it be Gary, or Raoul! Mithros, who is it? None of them have given signs that there is anything strange going on- but Delia always was a good actress, then. I must go, Kelsie." The Lioness took the letter, and headed out of Kelsie's quarters.  
  
Two weeks later, things had settled down some. Jonathan didn't want to alert the kingdom of any possible danger so that the risk of a rebellion was lessened, and he hadn't told any of his friends, except for Kelsie, Alanna, and Matthew, about what was going on in case one of them was the Chosen One Alex had spoken off. Matthew wasn't the Chosen One, because Alex had never even met Matthew. At least, they assumed that he wasn't. They just had to hope that their instinct were right, because they needed someone to trust. The more help they had, the better. Jonathan had no idea what to do, so he stuck with the old 'wait and see' method.  
In the meantime, Kelsie had managed to get to be good friends with Jonathan and Alanna, and Matthew proved to be the best friend she could have asked for.  
Jonathan, Kelsie and Matthew were in Jonathan's study talking one night when Matthew suddenly asked, "What happened between you and Lady Alanna?" Jonathan looked at Matthew, shocked.  
"What do you mean?" the King asked, bewildered.  
"I mean, why did you two break up?"  
"How do you know about that, anyway, Matthew?" Jon asked.  
"Kelsie and I both know," he replied.  
"But how? I mean, we kept it under wraps as best we could," Jon cried in dismay.  
"I didn't know until Kelsie told me," Matthew said.  
"How did you know?" Jonathan asked.  
"Well, George Cooper told me plenty of stories about you before I ever came to the palace, as well as many stories about Alanna. As for finding out about your relationship with her, you have Kara and Kourrem to thank for that. I was visiting the Bloody Hawk, and we were talking about George, and they happened to mention a few things." Jonathan just continued to stare at the two 16 year olds in shock.  
"Mithros, this can't be good! Did Kara and Kourrem mention to you why we broke up?"  
"I know you two had a fight in the desert, and you said she was unfeminine and she said you were spoiled, or something along those lines," Kelsie said.  
"Well, that wasn't all of it, you nosy little kids. It so happens that Alanna did not want to be queen. She said that she wasn't fit for the position, and that she would only embarass her. Then we got into a fight, and she said that I took her acceptance for granted, and then I didn't see her for nearly a year. By the time she returned to Corus, it was too late. She had already found two replacements for me. Two! Of course, I had courted Josiane while she was away, but the truth is, I never really cared for the Princess of the Copper Isles, I was only involved with her to try and make Alanna jealous. Obviously, it didn't work. I told her when she finally returned that my offer of marriage still stood, but she declined again. Finally, I just settled for Thayet. I love her, but not in the same way. I love her the way I should love Alanna- as a best friend. And if you two repeat that, I will find a way to torture you."  
"Why did you give up? If it were me, I would have kept trying to win her back," Matthew said.  
"Yes, but I'm not you. I've got a duty to my country, Matthew. If I don't have an heir, and something happens to me, then Tortall will be in a civil war. There will be a hellish battle for the throne. Do you understand what I'm saying? I had to give up- what other choice did I have?" Jonathan asked. He looked sort of sad. Kelsie felt bad about reminding the King of his old wounds, but it was what she had came to the capitol to do- not to uncover a plot to kill Jon. At least she knew that she was headed in the wrong direction- if she wanted to make anything happen, it was not Jonathan she needed to be talking to, it was Alanna.  
"I'm tired, Matthew. Maybe we better go on to bed," Kelsie said, and Matthew nodded.  
"Goodnight, Jonathan," Kelsie said.  
"Night, Jon," Matthew chorused.  
"Bye, guys," Jonathan said, and they walked out the door.  
"Matthew, if we want to make any progress, we need to go to Alanna," Kelsie said once they were outside the door. Matthew nodded.  
"We sure do. She's in Pirate's Swoop for a few days, looking at the castle that she and George will live in once they marry. She'll be back soon- in fact, she'll be back for the ball next week, and she'll stay until the danger had passed. She won't let anything happen to Jonathan."  
Kelsie agreed. Finally, she and Matthew reached the door to her quarters. Matthew gave her a quick hug.  
"See you tomorrow, Kelsie," he said.  
"See you tomorrow, Matthew," she replied.  
  
  
Author's Note-  
Okay, this is a short one, but I wanted to go ahead and get it up, because the next chapter something really big happens and I'm dying to get to it. 


	9. Decisions

Heart's Desire  
Chapter 8- Decisions  
  


Disclaimer-   
I do not own Alanna, Jonathan, etc. I do own Matthew and Kelsie.  
  
  
The next few days, both Kelsie and Matthew noticed that Jonathan was acting strangely. He didn't talk much, and he didn't spend much time with anybody. He didn't eat a lot, and he didn't smile much.  
"D'you think this could be because of us?" Kelsie had asked Matthew.  
"What do you mean, because of us?" Matthew had replied.  
"You know- because we reminded him of how much he loved Alanna, and how much he wished it was him that she was in love with, and not George?"  
"Could be. I haven't seen him act like this since he returned from the desert a couple of years ago, and that was when they first broke up. But I mean, every day he lives with the knowledge that the woman he loved turned him away- it can't have just bubbled back up all of a sudden, can it?" Kelsie shrugged.  
"No- not possible," Kelsie concluded.  
  
Jonathan sat in his study with Thayet that night.  
"So, I was thinking for the wedding, we should........." Thayet looked at Jonathan, and then frowned.  
"What is wrong, Jon? You've been too quiet lately- what in Mithros name have you got on your mind?"  
"I've just been thinking," he murmured.  
"About what, Jon? What has got you acting like a broken egg?"  
"I'm not acting like a broken egg," Jonathan argued, then added, "How do you know what a broken egg acts like, anyway?" "I can't tell you, Thayet. I just..........." His voice trailed off.  
"What have those two teenagers got planted into your brain? You've been acting strangely ever since you talked to them about a week ago. What exactly was your conversation about?"  
"I........"  
"I can't understand what's wrong if you don't tell me what you talked about that made you act so strange," she persisted.  
"That's just the thing. It's not a matter of you not being able to understand without me telling you. You just can't understand. You don't know what it's like, Thayet. You've never had to experience the pain, and you don't have to live with it day after day for all of eternity. You aren't the one who has to wonder if there was something you did to make things turn out like they did."  
"Of course. I should have known this was about Alanna. I could tell, the moment I first met you, that you loved her. I still can tell. But I had hoped that you had been able to understand that she loves George now, and I had also hoped that you had been able to learn to love me the way you love her. It's never going to happen, though, is it Jon?"  
"Thayet, that's not fair. I do love you, it's just......."  
"Not the same. I know. I believe you. It's just that you loved her first, most, forever, isn't it? It was that way with my parents, but once my mother was gone, well, so was my father's patience for me. But that's not what matters. Jon, I can't stay here if you're going to be like this forever, feel trapped and be wanting someone else."  
"Thayet, it won't be like this forever. You can't leave, I'll be a disgrace if you do, and I can't risk putting the kingdom in turmoil again. Not to mention that I don't want you to leave, Thayet......"  
"If I leave," Thayet snapped, "It wouldn't be permanent. I'd come back to Corus after a while on the road, starting a school for the less privileged and helping the homeless. Don't you see, Jon? This would be a chance for both of us to get what we want! I could travel and helped people, which is why I came here in the first place, and you....."  
"She's never coming back, Thayet. She loves George- not me. And I love you," he murmured.  
"And her," Thayet said crossly, then added, "Quit trying to trap yourself in something you know you don't want, Jonathan. I'll find an excuse to leave that won't disgrace your name and put your kingdom in turmoil. And I'll be back. If, once I return, you still want to marry me, then so be it. But I won't trap you until you've made sure there isn't a chance," she said, her voice no longer cross.  
"But how do we tell the kingdom without rumors starting?" Jonathan asked.  
"I'll make an announcement at the ball tomorrow night. Don't worry, I've got things under control. Just trust me," she said, then stood up. She gave him a peck on the cheek and then said, "Good-bye, Jonathan," and turned and left.  
  
The next evening, Kelsie sat in her room, preparing for the ball. This time she wore a sapphire blue gown, and although it didn't accentuate the green in her eyes as the emerald gown had, it still looked good on her. She brushed her hair so that it fell softly around her shoulders, then, looking in the mirror, shook her head and used her magic to make it wavy. Smiling, Kelsie slipped on her shoes and descended down into the ballroom. Matthew was waiting for her at the door, and he took her arm and they entered the room together. Matthew pointed to a figure in the distance- George and the Lioness.  
"When should we talk to her?" Kelsie asked.  
"Sometime when George isn't around, that's for sure," Matthew said, and Kelsie nodded. Then the music started up. Matthew and Kelsie, rather than dancing, watched Jonathan and Alanna.   
"Look- Thayet's dancing with Raoul," Matthew pointed out.  
"Then where's Jon?" Kelsie asked, and Matthew pointed.  
"Dancing with that visitor from Carthak," Matthew said. Kelsie frowned.  
"Look, there's George with Buri! But then where's Alanna? Oh. Gary," Matthew said. A figure came up to Kelsie.  
"Would you care to dance?" he asked her. Kelsie looked the boy over. He was tall, taller than Matthew. He was tan, just like she was, but then, it was normal for a boy training to be a knight. He had brown hair, and soft blue eyes.   
"Of course," Kelsie responded, knowing that she couldn't shame the convent now. She shrugged to Matthew, and walked off. The boy introduced himself as Daniel of Dunlath, no relation to the fief's rulers, and then he didn't speak much. Kelsie would admit that Daniel was handsome, but she wished that it could be Matthew she was dancing with. The song ended, and Daniel asked her to dance again. Kelsie politely replied yes, and Matthew looked at her. She shrugged, and mouthed, "I'll talk to you after this." He nodded, and then went to dance with Penelope. Kelsie felt a surge of healousy, but shook it off. As the song ended, she made her way to find Matthew. She had just reached him when she noticed that a new song was not starting, and that Thayet was up in front of everyone, preparing to make an announcement. Kelsie looked at the Queen-to-be in puzzlement, and then froze as the lovely woman opened her mouth to speak.  
"Ladies and gentlemen, loyal subjects of Tortall, I speak to you tonight on the behalf of my own judgement. In my time in this realm, I have learned that the people here are hospitable, open to change, and kind. I have learned to love the realm and it's people. But I have also learned something about myself. When I came here, I had no intention of becoming betrothed to your King. My intentions were to travel around the kingdom, and help the less privileged. I had hoped to build shelters for the homeless, and start schools for the underprivileged. And although I love your King very much, I feel that I would not be most useful in the role of Queen and that I have a higher duty. I also feel that King Jonathan can find someone better suited to be his queen, someone who doesn't have a bigger plan for themselves that includes travel and putting herself in danger. Therefore, I have decided not to marry King Jonathan," Thayet concluded. Kelsie stared at her in horror. Matthew looked just as bewildered. All around the room there were looks of confusion and suprise. The only person who didn't seem suprised was Jonathan. Obviously he and Thayet had discussed this beforehand and agreed that it was for the best.   
"I knew we wanted to get Alanna and Jonathan back together, but I didn't think we'd actually chase Thayet away," Kelsie said.  
"We didn't chase her away. You heard her. This was what she came here to do, what she always wanted. We didn't chase her away, we helped her get a chance to do what she wanted." Kelsie nodded, but somehow her plan didn't feel so right anymore. Now odds were that Jonathan would end up with someone horrible if they failed, not someone as wonderful as Thayet. Kelsie sighed.  
"Matthew, can you leave the ball? We need to have a little discussion with Jon, three on one. I'm trying to figure out exactly what went wrong between them, and Jon says he's ready to get out of here. He says he doesn't want to answer to the nobles tonight." Kelsie hadn't even seen Raoul come up to them. Matthew looked at Kelsie. She nodded at him.  
"Yeah, I'm ready to get out of here, too. I'll see you tomorrow, Kelsie. Meanwhile, go talk to the Lioness, okay?" Kelsie nodded as Matthew, Raoul, Gary and Jonathan left the ball together.  



	10. Doubts

Heart's Desire  
Chapter 9- Doubts  
  


Disclaimer-   
I do not own Alanna, Jonathan, Thayet, Gary, Raoul, etc. I do own Matthew and Kelsie.  
  
  
Kelsie watched as her four friends exited from the ballroom, and then turned around to find herself face to face with the Lioness.   
"Where's George?" Kelsie asked, not wanting to have to answer the questions she was sure that the Lioness had.  
"He's tired. He went back to our rooms." Kelsie nodded at the older woman's reply, and then stared up into her violet eyes. She was obviously not happy. Kelsie didn't want to get the wrath of the Lioness, but there was no way out of it now.  
"What happened while I was gone?" Alanna asked.   
"I didn't........." Kelsie began.  
"I'm not accusing you of anything, and even if you did play a part in this somehow, I wish to know nothing of it. All I want to know is what went wrong? They seemed so happy when I left." Kelsie looked into the eyes of the Lioness and realized the look on her face was indeed not that of an angry woman but that of someone who was horribly confused.   
"Well, Lady Alanna, one night Matthew and I were in Jonathan's study, talking to him, and Matthew decided to ask what went wrong between you and Jonathan," Kelsie said quietly.  
"What went wrong between me and Jon? How did you even know about me and Jon and the first place?" Alanna demanded. Kelsie looked down at the floor.  
"Well, ever since I first met George he's been telling me stories about you and all of your adventures. I always looked up to you, and wished that I could have been the one who had done all those good things. The thing is, when I met Kara and Kourrem, they told me things that George had happened to neglect. I guess it hurt him to tell people that the woman he was in love with had loved Jon first, but whatever it was, he didn't seem happy when I found out about you and Jonathan. I don't know, maybe George just doesn't trust me." Alanna stared at Kelsie.  
"Why wouldn't he trust you? Perhaps you ought to finish the story before I ask you that, though," Alanna added.  
"When I came to the palace, I sort of told Matthew about you and Jonathan, since you two were a couple of his closest friends, and once I told Matthew about it, he wanted to help me," Kelsie said.  
"Help you what, Kelsie?" Alanna interupted, but Kelsie didn't want to answer.  
"After we asked Jonathan about why you two broke up, he got kind of upset, and he seemed pretty sad every time we saw him this week. Maybe Thayet caught on and realized that she couldn't be with Jonathan when he was so hurt about what had happened between him and someone else, even when he and that person had been split up for almost two years." Alanna stared at her, eyes wide, as Kelsie fell silent.  
"You think that Jonathan's still in love with me? That's proposterous, Kelsie, it's insane! Jonathan and I have no business being in love. I would make a horrible queen, I'd embarass him and make him the laughing stock of the Eastern Lands!"  
"Jonathan told us that's what you said when he proposed to you. Matthew and I really don't see how that matters. First off, you wouldn't be a horrible queen, you'd make a good queen. And second of all, isn't love supposed to conquer all?"   
"Yes, it is supposed to conquer all, but Jon and I don't love each other. I love George, and he loves Thayet, whether he knows it or not."  
"Not to be rude, Lioness, but you aren't Jonathan. You don't know what he thinks, or how he feels. You didn't see him over the last week, ever since he got mad at me and Matthew for asking him about you. You should have heard him, Alanna! Matthew asked him why he finally gave up on you, becaus ehe said finally he just settled for Thayet even though he only loved her as a best friend, and he said it was his duty to his country to have a queen and an heir, because otherwise if something happened to him there would be a civil war."   
"It can't be," Alanna croaked.  
"I think you should give him another chance," Kelsie said quietly.  
"Kelsie, you don't seem to understand what it's like to be in love," Alanna said, and Kelsie didn't bother to argue. Alanna had a point there. Kelsie never had been in love- or had she? Was she in love with Matthew? Kelsie tried to shake off this thought, but she knew that trying was impossible. Just like she and Matthew had made Jonathan see how much he still loved Alanna, Alanna had just made Kelsie realize her true feelings for her best friend.  
"That's not true. I do know what it's like, and I know that if you truly love someone, then you can't bear to be away from them, and that you never want to think of being apart." Alanna nodded.  
"You're absolutely right. So why don't you realize that I can't give Jon another chance because I'm completely in love with George? And even if I was willing to give Jon a chance, I'm betrothed, for Mithros sake." Kelsie nodded, near tears.   
"You're right, of corurse. Good night, Lady Alanna." Kelsie walked out into the halls, feeling lost. She had never been so confused in her life. She walked slowly toward the barn where Jazz was housed.  
"Oh, Jazz," she murmured to the horse, "It's impossible. It can't be done, and now we've gone and hurt Jon and chased Thayet away! It's all our fault, and there's nothing that can be done to fix it."  
_You can't give up now, Kelsie of Tirregan. This is not like you. You are not the type to quit._   
"Oh, shut up, Jazz. That isn't what I wanted to tell you anyway. It's about Matthew."  
_You're in love with him, of course._  
"How did you know?"  
_Kelsie, I am a creature of the Gods. They tell me things, and I can tell things from what you confide in me._  
"Oh, Jazz, I'm so confused!"  
_You can't worry about your own feelings right now, Kelsie, not with the King at stake. You need to go tell Matthew what you learned from the Lioness, and most of all you need to keep your eyes open. Delia could be anywhere, anyone. Your duty is to protect Jon, not to worry about your love life. Until Jonathan is safe from his own friends, then you need not worry about your feelings for Matthew of Golden Lake._  
Kelsie nodded. Jazz was right, of course. She should probably wait until morning, but she wanted to tell Matthew about her conversation with the Lioness now, while it was fresh in her mind.  
"Thanks, Jazz. I'm going to go tell Matthew now." She trotted back up into the castle in the direction of Matthew's room.  
  
"I can't believe you, Matthew! How could you have been so selfish?" Raoul hollered.  
"What is that supposed to mean, Raoul? I only asked what happened! I'm not the one that moped around all week and then let Thayet walk out of my life without even really caring. I only asked a question!"  
"One that you shouldn't have asked," Gary said. Jonathan was long gone at this point, but Gary had stayed for the showdown of the Golden Lakes. When Jonathan had mentioned that Matthew had asked him what went wrong with him and Alanna, and that that had been what made him realize that he still didn't really want to be with Thayet, Gary had realized that it was only a matter of time before Raoul exploded. Raoul rarely got angry with anyone, especially his little brother, but when he did get mad, he got really mad, and now was one of those times.  
"How was I supposed to know that he was still madly in love with Alanna? And besides, if he was so much in love with Alanna, he would have realized it eventually. We just helped him realize it sooner, rather than later, and probably saved him from a disastrous marriage with someone he didn't really care about."  
"But he did care about her! You don't understand Jon as well as you think, smartie. You don't know him inside and out, haven't grown up with him since he was ten. You don't seem to understand what this is really about. It's typical of Jon to want what he absolutely can not have, and Alanna is one of those things. She is like the anti-queen. Even if she did love Jon more than George, she would have married George anyway because she doesn't want to be the queen, and Jon knows that. He can't accept that fact, and he needs to to be able to be happy, because the sooner he realizes that there is no longer any hope for him and Alanna, the sooner he can move on. And he had accepted that fact and was well on his way to a marriage that would have been successful until you intervened. Jon'll never be able to replace Alanna, and Thayet was the closest to Alanna he was ever going to get, as far as being in love with anyone. But you had to go and destroy things! Thayet was the hope that this kingdom needed, Matthew, and you ran her away why? So you could chase some stupid fantasy that Kelsie has!"  
"That's not fair, Raoul! Kelsie's intentions are good. She only wants Jon to be happy, and I want the same thing!"  
"Damn it, Matthew, you know what Jon wants and what Jon needs are two different things, but you put your own feelings first! If Kelsie hadn't come to the palace, then everything would have been fine, but she's warped your brain, Matt! You're so blindly in love with her that........" Raould began, but that was the last straw. Matthew had had enough, and he didn't want to sit there and take things like that from Raoul. Raoul had hit a nerve by dragging Kelsie into things, and now Matthew refused to stay silent. He wanted to say something in Kelsie's defense, to try and convince his brother and Gary that his love for her was not blind, and that that was not the reason why he had helped her to try and reunite Jonathan and Alanna, but it had been because he had believed that that was the right thing to do. He wanted to say these things in her defense, but all he could think of to say was something that he knew he'd regret, that he knew wasn't true. Matthew tried to stop the words from coming out, but he didn't close his mouth soon enough.  
"I am NOT in love with Kelsie of Tirregan, and I never will be! The thought is ridiculous, Raoul! I told you once, and I meant it- I will NEVER fall in love, and especially not with Kelsie of Tirregan." Raoul shook his head.  
"And am I supposed to believe that, Matthew? I see the way you look at her, the was you get that look in your eyes. I know after Amanda you swore that you'd never fall in love, but you never mean those things, Matthew. I know that you're in love with Kelsie of Tirregan, whether it's just as a best friend or not."  
"You're wrong, Raoul! She means absolutely nothing to me," Matthew said, knowing it wasn't true, knowing that he really did love her.  
Matthew stormed toward the door, and realized that it had been left ajar when Jonathan had left the room. What if someone had heard? What if..........  
Matthew looked down the hall, and saw a figure in a sapphire blue rushing away. Matthew frowned. His worst fears had been confirmed. Kelsie had heard him.  
  



	11. Balls of Fire

Heart's Desire  
Chapter 10- Balls of Fire  
  


Disclaimer-   
I don't own Alanna, Jonathan, etc.  
  
Kelsie bolted to her room. How could he say that? Had he just been pretending that whole time? Had he never really cared, and had just led her on? But why? What was his motive for doing such a thing? Why did he want to hurt her? Did he realize that she had heard him? Was she to be expected to never find out that he was only faking any interest in her, that he had been faking their friendship? Why did he havew to put on that charade at her expense? Kelsie didn't think that she had ever done anything to deserve to have this happen to her, but maybe it was her fault for coming here. She didn't belong in the palace. She had lived a charade, too, she realized. She had pretended to her teachers at the convent that she was a beautiful and proper lady, and that she wanted to come to the palace in Corus in search of a husband, when really what she had wanted was to do exactly what she had just done- split up Thayet and Jonathan. But this was different. Her teachers at the convent hadn't liked her, and had never tried to convince her that they did. Matther had made her believe that he at least really liked her and that he calued her friendship, and she had loved him. But he had...........  
Kelsie didn't even want to think about it. She just wanted to leave the palace and go back home, wherever that was.   
Without knowing it, she hadentered her room and had automatically started packing. She threw things absentmindedly into her trunk, not caring that they weren't folded and were destined to get wrinkled.  
"And where are you going, Kelsie?" someone asked. Kelsie turned around angrily to see that the King had been waiting for her in her rooms.  
"Home. I would appreciate it if you would leave me be, your Majesty. I wish to have nothing more to do with the residents of your palace." She shoved more of her belongings into her empty trunk, not daring to meet Jonathan's eyes. She couldn't look at him, because she knew that she didn't really mean the things she was saying. Just because she was hurt didn't mean that it was the fault of the rest of her friends. Jonathan hadn't done anything to deserve her to say that to him.   
"I'm sorry," she said quietly, but still refused to meet the mans eyes. If she looked up, she would know that she had to stay, and right then she wanted to be as far away from Matthew as she possibly could, and no matter how huge the palace was, it wasn't big enough for her and Matthew both.   
"I know." Jonathan just stared at her. Why wasn't he asking why she was leaving? Maybe he had already known that Matthew was only leading her on? Perhaps it had been obvious to him that it was only a matter of time before this happened? But if that was so, then that meant that Jonathan had betrayed her, too. If that was true, then all of her friends had betrayed her and she had every right to be leaving. She hated to believe that, but Jonathan was so calm about everything. It was too unnerving.  
"I beg you to reconsider. No one here wants you to leave," he said.  
"Matthew obviously does," Kelsie spat bitterly.  
"Matthew especially doesn't want you to leave. I don't know what gave you the crazy idea that he wants you to," Jon said. Kelsie looked at him.  
"You don't know then?" Kelsie asked in awe.  
"I beg your pardon? I don't know what?" he asked, puzzled.  
"Never mind, your majesty," she said, and finally let the tears she had been holding back spill over.  
"Obviously there is something I'm missing. What happened?" Jon asked.  
Kelsie told the King what she had overheard. When she finished, Jonathan's face showed no emotion, but it was obvious that he was deep in thought. Finally, he spoke.  
"I know what it's like to say things that you don't mean when you're angry, and I can assure you that that is the case," he said.  
"It doesn't make any difference," she muttered.  
"It hurts anyway that a person you care so much about would say something like that, angry or not. I've been there, done that. If you had heard some of the arguments that I had with Alanna, you would understand," he assured her.  
"But I don't want to care! I want to hate him forever for what he's done. I want to get as far away from him as I possibly can!" Kelsie said.  
"Oh, you'll hate him for a while. I know you hate him for the things he's said now, but don't do something as stupid as leaving. I left, and now look where I am. Two years later, I'm still as in love with Alanna as I ever was, except now she's replaced me because I wasn't there. I never apologized for the things I said, and I never accepted her apology for the things she said back, even though in my heart I forgave her as soon as she said them. Leaving isn't the answer, Kelsie." Kelsie thought about what Jon had said for a minute and then looked him in the eyes for the first time that night.  
"I'll stay," Kelsie said finally, "But not for him. I'm staying because I can't leave you. I helped get you into this mess, and now that Thayet's gone I can't leave too. It was my idea to try and get you back together with Alanna, and I have to stay and see the whole thing through. I've never been a quitter, and I don't intend to start being one now just because of one stupid prig." Jon laughed.  
"I knew you were up to something. You haven't messed everything up as much as you think. If I do end up with Alanna again, then I owe you everything, but if I don't, Thayet said that when she returns if neither of us has found someone else then she'll still marry me," Jon said.  
"She did?" Kelsie asked.  
"Yes, she did. Good night, Kelsie," he said, and turned to leave.  
"Wait a second, Jon. What was it you came up here to tell me in the first place?" Kelsie asked. Jonathan pointed to a trunk in the corner.  
"Alex's trunk. The mages couldn't do a thing with it," he said, and left. Kelsie looked at the trunk. All of her anger at Matthew returned when Jon left, and the trunk didn't help, either.  
"Stupid thing," she muttered to herself, and hurled a ball of green fire at the trunk. A light shimmered brighter than anything Kelsie had ever seen before. It was as bright as the sun would be if she were right next to it. The sight nearly blinded her. Kelsie closed her eyes, and she felt her thoughts shift into nothingness as she fell unconcious.   
  
When Kelsie woke up, she was aching and sore. She looked down, and wondered why she had gone to sleep on the floor. Then she remembered the trunk, and the brilliant light it had given off. She tried to stand up, but her bones felt weak. Had she used that much of her magic when she had hurled the fire at the trunk in frustration? She hadn't thought so. Kelsie gave up on trying to stand and crawled over to the trunk instead. Kelsie looked into it, and saw that the panel that had been locked so tightly, the one that the most trusted of Jonathan's mages hadn't even been able to unlock, was now wide open. Kelsie squealed in delight, and knew that she must tell Jonathan right away, since it was obvious that her half-brother had been keeping something very important in that part of his trunk. Kelsie once more tried to get to her feet, and this time she was successful. She looked in the mirror, and realized that she was still in her clothes from last night, and that her hair and face were a terrible mess from crying. She changed into breeches and a silk green shirt, and then wiped her face with a cloth to try and hide the fact that she had cried so much last night. Instead of brushing her hair so that she looked beautiful and proper as ladies should, she brushed it back and pulled it up so that it would be out of her way. She wondered where she could find Jonathan. She looked out the window, and saw the sun was nearly all the way up. It was not quite time for midday, so she made her way to Jon's study. She knocked, and was relieved when he told her to come in. She opened the door, and was about to start pouring out her story when she saw that Jonathan had another visitor. He was seated in a chair across from Jonathan, and his face was not visible, only the back of his head, but Kelsie knew that head very wall. She wanted to scream in frustration and anger, she wanted to storm out of the room, show everyone how angry she was, how much she hated the person in that room. She hadn't wanted to come face to face with him, not now, not ever. Of course, there was no way to avoid Matthew of Golden Lake forever, but it would have been nice to be able to do so. She didn't want to see him so soon, but she realized that what she had to tell Jonathan was far more important than getting away from Matthew, no matter how much she hated him. When Kelsie walked forward towards Jon, Matthew looked startled. Obviously he had not expected to see her quite so soon, either. He had thought that she would avoid him at all costs, and she wished that she could, but she knew that she couldn't let Jon down. He needed to know about the trunk, for all she knew, the things in the hidden compartment could be the very things that would save his life. Kelsie wanted to save that life. Jonathan was so kind, and he understood her so well. She didn't want anything to happen to him, and she doubted that there were very many in the entire kingdom that did want anything to happen to him. 'Delia of Eldorne must be stupid to want to kill this man. Alex must have been stupid,' she thought, even though thinking of her half-brother in that light hurt. Jonathan was the best thing to happen to this kingdom. She would see to it that he stayed alive. Kelsie tried to speak, to tell Jonathan what she needed to say, what she had come to say, but for some reason she couldn't tear her eyes away from Matthew.  
"Kelsie," Matthew stuttered, "I didn't....... I mean, I'm sor.........."  
"I don't care, and even if I did care, now is not the time, Matthew. What I have to say to Jonathan is far more important than anything you could possibly have to say to me. I would appreciate it if you would please leave so that I may have a word with His Majesty in private, and what I need to say regards a very important matter and should not be discussed instead of just anyone." Kelsie tried to sound as icy as was possible, and she tried to hide her emotions the best that she could, but her voice wavered slightly as she spoke.  
"As you say, Lady Kelsie. Bye, Jon," Matthew said, and was on his way. After the door had been safely shut, Kelsie turned to Jon.  
"Well, that was fun, wasn't it?" Jon said sarcastically, and then became serious.  
"What was it you needed to tell me?"  
"It's Alex's trunk. Last night, after you left, I was so mad at everything, between Matthew, and Lady Alanna's stubborness, and then at the trunk for not opening even under the power of you best mages, and I got really angry and threw a bunch of my magic at the trunk. There was a huge light that blazed from it, and then I passed out. I used a lot of magic to open that thing, and then I was so tired that I fainted. But when I woke up this morning, the panel was open."  
"Can you take me to see what's in it?" Jon asked.  
"Of course," Kelsie said, and they headed towards Kelsie's rooms.  
"Do you know what's in it?" Jon asked.  
"I didn't look in it. I woke up at midday, and when I realized that the panel was open, I came straight to you," Kelsie said.  
"Do you want to examine the things with me?" Jon asked. Kelsie paused.  
"I think I'd prefer not to. I still hate to think that my half-brother had plans to kill you and Alanna, and who knows how many others. I'll do something more useful," Kelsie said, "Because you don't need two people to examine what's in there. I'd only be a nuisance."  
"If you insist," Jon said, "In the meantime, I found a mage who will teach you how to use you powers."  
"The Heart's Desire magic?" Kelsie asked. Jon nodded.  
"The mage that will teach you isn't as strong as you are. She can see what people want, but not without them being able to do. You're so strong that once you are properly trained, your talent may be the very thing that will help us uncover Delia. You can use that power to spy, you know," Jon said.  
"I can?" Kelsie asked. Jon nodded.  
"Once you're trained, you'll know the full extent of your powers. I don't know everything there is, since your magic is very rare, but I do know that it will help us a great deal. Your lessons start this afternoon- the sooner you learn, the sooner the danger passes. You'll be trained by a woman named Olivia Verici. She is a servant here in the palace, and she is one of those rare servants who knows how to use their powers. All right, then, I shall take Alex's trunk to my room while you stay here. Olivia will meet you here shortly- I will notify her to come up here."  
"Thanks, Jon," Kelsie said, and Jon carried the trunk away towards his study.  
'He's so calm for someone who has a person out to kill him hidden in the form of one of his best friends,' Kelsie thought as she lay down to take a nap before her new teacher arrived.  
  



	12. George Cooper

Heart's Desire  
Chapter 11- George Cooper  
  


Disclaimer-   
I do not own Alanna, Jonathan, Thayet, Gary, Raoul, etc. I do own Matthew and Kelsie.  
  
  
_ Wind swirled around the scene, and it was now a familiar one to Kelsie. There she stood, a circle of dust forming around her. Jonathan, Alanna, and Matthew walked through the dust to Kelsie as the cloud gained power and swept away a fifth figure. The man spun around in circles continually until the whirlwind spit him out and he fell onto the desert ground._  
  
A knock came at the door, and Kelsie hopped up from the bed where she had fallen asleep. This had to be her teacher at the door. Kelsie swung open the door, and there stood a woman with graying hair that stuck on end. Her hair was completely flyaway, and her eyes were clouded and gray, just like her hair was.   
"Good afternoon, ma'am. You must be Lady Kelsie. I am Olivia. The King has requested that I teach you the extent of your unusual powers, am I correct?" Kelsie could only nod.  
"Now, I know this seems silly, but you must learn quickly, because time is short, Lady. No one is quite sure how long His Majesty has before Delia makes her attack." Kelsie nodded again. She felt dumb, as though there were something she should be saying that she wasn't, but words were lost on Kelsie just then. She only listened intently as Olivia explained the full extent of what she would be able to do. It was basically what Jonathan had said- she would be able to see people's deepest desires, and she would be able to see into a persons soul if she was powerful and disciplined enough. She would be able to use her powers both for good and evil, and it would be very easy to spy using her powers- which was of course what Jon had wanted.  
For the first hour all Olivia showed Kelsie was how to concentrate all her thoughts so that they didn't leak out of her with her magic. She didn't want her magic to leak and her presence to be discovered when she was spying for the King, Olivia said, so once Kelsie had mastered holding her magic inside of her, Olivia taught her the basic steps in being able to see a desire. By the time the dinner bell rang, Kelsie was exhausted, but she knew exactly how to see someone's hearts desire. However, Olivia had seen how tired Kelsie was, and had told her that she would have to wait until tomorrow to experiment with actually reading their desires.  
At dinner, Kelsie sat next to Jonathan and told him about the beginning of her training. In turn, Jonathan told her that the trunk was being despelled by a man with a strange name that Kelsie knew she would never remember later on. After the lock, there were plenty of powerful spells still guarding what was in the secret compartment, but Jon seemed to have completer faith in the man.   
The next day, training started again. Olivia brought Jonathan and Raoul with her because they were willing to let Kelsie potentially see their hearts desire. They were both Kelsie's close friends, and they were willing to reveal one of their only secrets if it meant saving Jon's life and training their secret weapon to the fullest of her talent potential. Olivia told Kelsie to try and read their hearts desire, but not let them know which one of them she was reading. By the end of the afternoon, Kelsie had learned that Jonathan's hearts desire was Alanna, and Raoul's was to be the greatest hero in Tortall. She also learned many things that she never had known about her friends, but she hadn't quite managed to find these things out without being detected.   
Kelsie was trained for two more weeks, and she gradually got better and better. Finally, the time came for Kelsie to carry out her end of the bargain- she had to spy on George. He had no knowledge of what Kelsie was capable of, and that was the whole purpose. Jonathan and Kelsie both had a feeling that he might be the person that Delia, Roger and Alex had chosen to be the person that would kill Jon.  
Kelsie traveled into Corus to George's mothers house, where she was let in and told to sit for a moment. Then Mistress Cooper led Kelsie back to a room where George was sitting in a chair in front of the fire, waiting for Kelsie.  
"Hello, George," Kelsie said.  
"Hello, Kelsie, what brings you here?" George asked, staring her down.  
"I just haven't seen you lately and I thought it might be nice if I came into town and said hi," Kelsie said. She gritted her teeth and concentrated on what was inside of George.  
"Well, you've said hi, and while I hate to rush you out, I have plans. I'm rather busy, and I think I might have to get together with you at a time that is more convenient for myself." George flashed her a winning smile, and Kelsie wanted to scream in anger. They had been right. Delia was George.  
"Goodbye, then," Kelsie said.  
"Goodbye, Kelsie," George/Delia said. Kelsie got up, and let herself out of the menace's presence. Then, instead of leading herself to the front door, she stood beside the door and pressed her ear up against it.  
"Well, Roger, tomorrow, then?"  
"Tomorrow is good," a voice said. Kelsie shook with fear. Was that the voice of Roger, the evil sorcerer? But he was dead, was he not? Kelsie found a small hole in the door and saw a face in the fire. Kelsie gasped, and ran out of the house. Delia had been staring right at the hole Kelsie had been looking through.  
  
Author's Note-  
Yes, this is very short, but it's a chapter all the same. And this had to happen sort of seperate. Sort of. 


	13. The Roar of the Lioness

Heart's Desire  
Chapter 12- The Roar of the Lioness  
  


Author's Note-   
I know, I know, it's been forever! I have been so busy, and then I just sorta lost interest for a while, but while I was on vacation last week I re-read the books again, and I decided I had to finish up some stuff on this. Don't worry, though- this isn't quite the end yet.  
  
Disclaimer-   
I do not own Delia of Eldorne, George Cooper, Alanna, Jonathan, Raoul, Gary, etc. You know the whole deal. I do own Matthew and Kelsie.  
  
  
Kelsie bolted out the door and ran as fast as her feet would carry her to the palace. That was fairly fast, too. She didn't stop until, without realizing it, she was in front of Matthew's room. Kelsie shook her head, and then, realizing what she had to do, she knocked on the door. Matthew answered it.  
"Kelsie!" he exclaimed when he saw who was at the door. He opened his mouth to apologize once again, but Kelsie silenced him.  
"It doesn't matter. I need your help, Matthew. We have to go to Jon now!" Matthew looked at Kelsie, and then, nodding, he followed her towards the King's Study. Kelsie knocked, and Jon called for her to come in. She opened the door, and the first thing that she said was "Tomorrow!" Jonathan looked at her, puzzled.  
"It's George- Delia's in George. And she was talking into the fire, and Roger's head was in it, and they're going to kill you tomorrow!" Kelsie cried, never taking a breath.  
"Does- does he have Roger's powers?" Jonathan asked.  
"No- but he can steal magic- your magic, the Lioness' magic, anyone's magic! He can drain all the sorcerer's in the palace- can you imagine how much power he would have? And we'd all be drained and helpless! You can't put him in jail, because he could steal magic and break out, but you can't kill him, because he's your friend and it's not his fault that he was hosen to be taken over by Roger and his followers."   
"Slow down, Kelsie. Just that he can steal magic doesn't mean that- okay, yes it does. We need to get Alanna- now. Kelsie, you were just there, it'll look really obvious if you go back. How about you go and get her, Matthew?" Jon said. Matthew nodded, and turned to go. As he was leaving, Kelsie smiled at him. She couldn't help it. The look of relief in Matthew's eyes was clear as Matthew left the King's study.  
"And what exactly was that about?" Jon asked, indicating the door.  
"Matthew? I just figured that you were going to need as much help as you could get, and if you can trust him, I should be able to, too. It wouldn't do to have two of the people helping you at each other's throats, would it? And besides- I kinda missed him," Kelsie said. Jonathan laughed.  
"I know the feeling. Let's hope he hurries, then," Jon said, and he and Kelsie sat in silence. Kelsie could tell that the King was upset, and maybe just a little bit scared.   
"Kelsie, before Alanna and Matthew get here, could you do me a favor and go and get Raoul and Gary?" Kelsie nodded, and she too was on her way.  
  
A short time later, Kelsie, Matthew, Raoul, Gary, and Alanna were all gathered in Jonathan's study.   
"What is all this about, Jonathan?" they asked.  
"I need your help. All of you remember Delia of Eldorne's warning- that when I least expected it, from who I least expected it, I would be killed. Later we found that Delia of Eldorne planned to attack me in the form of one of my closest friends," Jonathan began.  
"WHAT?" Raoul boomed.  
"Why didn't you tell us, Jon?" Gary asked.  
"We weren't sure who Delia was in the form of, so we didn't tell the two of you. We were afraid that she had taken over one of you- it would have been almost ideal. Neither of you were one of her targets, like myself and Alanna, and the fact was that since Roger never met Matthew or Kelsie, it couldn't have been either of them."  
"It's not, is it? Me or Gary?" Raoul asked.  
"No, it's neither of you two," Jonathan assured them.  
"Then who is it, Jon, if it isn't any of us?" Gary asked.  
"That's why you're here- so that you can be warned. Delia has taken over George," Jon said grimly.  
"NO!" Alanna said, "It can't be! She would never- she wouldn't dare! He'd fight it- she'd never manage it!" Alanna argued.   
"She already has," Jonathan said.   
"How can you know for sure?" Alanna demanded.  
"Kelsie has a special kind of magic- Heart's Desire. A very powerful mage, however, can use that power to spy, and to see inside a person's thoughts. She went down to the city earlier to visit George, and she saw Delia inside of him."  
"She may have been wrong," Alanna protested.  
"I wasn't wrong, ma'am. Even if that had been incorrect, after I left the room I looked through a little hole in the door, and I saw Duke Roger's head in the fire, and I heard them talking. They plan on killing Jonathan tomorrow."  
"It's impossible," Alanna argued.  
"Give it up, Alanna. Delia's got George- and if you don't accept that, then he could end up killing Jon!" Raoul said. He and Gary did not seem to doubt the story at all, but Alanna still refused to want to believe that her betrothed had been taken over by one of her enemies- one of her dead enemies- and was now on a mission to kill the King. Alanna sat and thought about this for a minute, and then sighed.  
"It's not fair! He never did naything to deserve this! How are we supposed to rid him of Delia?" Alanna asked.  
"Um- well................" Jon began, "We're not quite sure."  
"What do you mean, you're not quite sure? There has to be a way to stop them without hurting George! You mean to tell me that we have until tomorrow to stop Delia, and you have no idea how to get rid of her that doesn't involve hurting George?"  
"It won't just hurt him, Lioness. It may- it may kill him," Kelsie said. Alanna looked at Kelsie with daggers in her eyes.  
"But- you can't!" Alanna flung the door open and left.  
"Kelsie? Matthew?" Jonathan asked, and looked towards the door.  
"We'll go," she said, and dragged Matthew up. They were after the Lioness.  
They finally reached Alanna's palace quarters and knocked on the door.  
"He shouldn't have sent you," Alanna yelled. Kelsie opened the door and walked in.  
"How did you know it was us?" Kelsie asked in disbelief.  
"Jon always does this. I knew he'd send someone," Alanna said.  
"Are you all right?" Kelsie asked, seeing tears in her eyes.  
"I'm fine!" she snapped.  
"You're not fine. Your betrothed has been taken over by an evil slut and is trying to kill one of your best friends, who also happens to be the King. You're not fine."  
"Brilliant observation," she muttered sarcastically, and then turned serious.   
"I love them both, Kelsie, and one of them has to die. It's what has to happen. There's no other way. I'd miss both of them terribly if they were gone. And it's clear that in this situation, there isn't really a choice. If George dies, then Jon'll be safe, and Delia will be gone. But if Jon dies, then there'll be a civil war. It's just not fair that I have to lose one of them. But it's like George has already died, isn't it? He's alive, but he isn't. His body is there, but his mind, his sould, his heart- that's all Delia. I just......... I didn't get a chance to really say good-bye. Now saying good-bye would be saying good-bye to Delia, not to George. It's not..................."   
"I'm so sorry. Look, Alanna, if you don't want to help us stop him- we can do it without you," a voice said from behind them.  
"Jon!" Alanna gasped. Kelsie was suprised, too. She looked at him quizically.  
"Matthew got me," he said, looking at Kelsie, and then directed his gaze to Alanna.  
"It's not going to be easy for any of us. We're all his friends, but you most of all. I promise, we'll all understand if you wish to sit this one out," he said again. Alanna met his gaze and shook her head firmly.  
"I promised you that my life and sword were yours, Jon. The others aren't letting the fact that he's their friend stop them- and I won't, either. You have nothing to fear, Jonathan." Both smiled slightly, as much as you could when you knew that you had to kill one of your best friends.  
"So now we................."  
"Wait. Shield our magic. He's going to lure us into the desert. We have to pretend that he has us fooled, and then- we strike." Jon's voice was clear and firm. They were all ready to do what they had to- even if what they had to do was destroy George Cooper.  



	14. Desert Defeat

Heart's Desire  
Chapter 13- Desert Defeat  
  


Disclaimer-   
I do not own Delia of Eldorne, George Cooper, Alanna, Jonathan, Raoul, Gary, etc. You know the whole deal. I do own Matthew and Kelsie.  
  
  
Things seemed to be going as they had planned. The next morning, George came to Jonathan and told him that it was urgent that he come to the desert with him. There had been some sort of Bazhir uprising, and Jon, as both King and Voice of the Bazhir tribes, was needed out in the Southern Desert. Jonathan agreed to come, pretending that he had no idea that Delia had infiltrated George's body.  
George and Jonathan set off toward the desert on horses, and not far behind them followed Kelsie, Alanna, Matthew, Raoul and Gary. They stayed far enough behind George and Jon to where they could reach Jon if he needed help, and yet George was unaware of their presence.   
They rode on horseback for a while, Kelsie talking to Jazz the entire time, telling him exactly what had been happening since she had last been to talk to him. The horse had none of his usual wise things to say-all he could manage was to tell Kelsie to be careful.   
After Kelsie was through talking to Jazz, she turned to Alanna.   
"I really am sorry, Lady Alanna. This must be really awful for you. I mean, it has to hurt to lose someone you love so much," Kelsie said. Alanna looked at her. Her normally cheerful and lively face looked so tired and confused.  
"I will miss his friendship, but I think- I think I'm going to be all right. This won't be the end of the world, even though I really will miss George a great deal. I- I've got to accept that this had to happen, and that there must be a reason it happened-and well, I will accept it. I think all the pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together," Alanna said, and her eyes glanced ahead where Jon and George were.  
"You mean........." Kelsie began, and her voice trailed off.  
"Hush, young one. First we all have to make it through this alive. Then- then you can ask those questions," Alanna said, and they trotted onwards. It looked as though Jonathan and George had stopped ahead of them. Raoul, Gary, Matthew, Alanna and Kelsie halted as well. Alanna's hand flew to her a stone hanging around her throat.  
"Damn-he's stealing Jon's magic," the Lioness declared.  
"How did you........" Kelsie began.  
"This stone was a gift from the Goddess-if I hold it while magic is being used, I can see the magic." Kelsie looked at the lady knight in awe-she was protected by the Goddess. It all seemed so incredible.  
"We must go-now. That kind of magic works fast-and if he drains Jon too much, we could be in trouble. Our plan could still backfire," Alanna said, and she urged her horse onward. The others followed suite, and they raced to where Jonathan and George were.  
"The charade is over-Delia," Raoul announced as they rode up to the two men. George looked shocked, and he broke his concentration. The spell was over-there was no more magic coming from Jon. The king looked very weak. Raoul and Gary distracted Delia while Alanna whispered orders to Kelsie and Matthew.  
"I have to give Jon energy-he's too vulnerable as he is. I need to transfer some of my magic to him. Gary and Raoul could do the actual kill-but it would be hard for them. Death by a sword- I don't like the idea. Kelsie-could you do something with your magic-something that isn't that painful?" Kelsie looked the Lioness in the eyes-she could tell that this was important to Alanna. This was going to be hard for them all, but she had to do it. She nodded-now what could she do? She turned to ask the Lioness for help, but the lady knight was already concentrating and transferring her own magic to Jonathan. Matthew had joined Gary and Raoul in taunting Delia. Kelsie searched her memory for something that she could use-she'd never used her magic to kill before. She had never used anything to kill before! This was not the job that Kelsie had wanted to get. She hated that it was now her duty to kill George Cooper, her one time friend, the Lioness's lover. The Lioness had said that this had to happen, and that there must be some reason that George had been chosen. Was there, though? Was it so that the Lioness and the King could be together? If that was the reason, then Kelsie didn't really want them to be together anymore. George didn't deserve to die. This was all my fault, Kelsie thought to herself, and then she realized that it wasn't. This would have happened even if she hadn't been at the palace, even if she hadn't been pushing for the reuniting of Jon and Alanna. The only thing that may have been different would have been Thayet-and, of course, how prepared Alanna, Jon, Matthew, Gary and Raoul were for what was happening at the moment. She hadn't caused George's death-she had prevented Jon.  
"Kelsie, hurry!" Matthew said. Kelsie looked at him. She had been lost in her thoughts and had nearly forgotten what she needed to do.  
"I don't- I don't know what to do! I don't know any killing spells!" she cried.  
"Well, think of something! We can't distract him much longer-he'll realize what's going on and he'll go after Alanna and Jonathan," Matthew insisted. Kelsie nodded. She searched her memory one more time-and it came to her. The stupid dream-the whirlwind-George. It all made sense now. Slowly, Kelsie started to swirl the sand. At first it was small, no larger than her hand. Then it grew and grew. It was behind George so that he could not see what was going on, but it was in front of Gary, Raoul, and Matthew, and seeing the whirlwind, they slowly backed away slightly. Finally, the whirlwind was large enough to encircle the figure of George. Kelsie flicked her wrist-and George was inside the whirlwind. It spun faster and faster as it grew taller, and now and then Kelsie could see the figure of George Cooper swirling around inside it. Of course, it wasn't really George. It was Delia. She was screaming.  
"Damn you! Damn you all! Roger will rule! He will find a way to live again! I swear he will! You all will be sorry!" she yelled. She gave one final scream, and then the whirlwind spit Delia high into the sky. They all watched in horror as Delia/George fell from the sky onto the desert floor. Alanna and Jonathan were both now fully conscious, and they joined Gary, Raoul and Matthew in staring at Kelsie in disbelief.   
"He's- he's really gone," Jon whispered, and Alanna nodded. Silent tears were streaming down her face, and Jon's. Gary and Raoul were too stunned to cry. Matthew was unsure how to react, but he embraced Kelsie, who cried into his shoulder. None of them could really believe that it had happened. It was so unreal it almost didn't seem possible that it was reality-but it was.  
"I killed him," Kelsie sobbed uncontrollably, "I killed him!" She had never felt so awful in her life. She hated herself for doing it.  
"You had to, Kels. You saved Jon, and all of Tortall," Matthew replied.  
"It still hurts," Kelsie murmured. Matthew didn't say anything else, and they all just sat there for a while. Finally Raoul broke the silence.  
"Should we get the body?" he asked timidly. Alanna looked at him, red-eyed, and nodded. Slowly they walked toward George's body. The sight of it only brought more tears to everyone's eyes, and finally, they placed George's body on Jazz and rode him back into Corus. They took him to his mother and explained what had happened through their tears. Eleni understood.  
"He always said he'd gladly die for either one of you," Ms. Cooper said to Jonathan and Alanna, "and I reckon he'd be happy knowing he died for both of you." Kelsie was amazed that the woman could try to see the bright side of her son's death. She supposed maybe it was true after all that tragedy brought out the best in people.  
The next day there was a quiet funeral for George. Only his closest friends and family were present. Afterward he was buried on the edge of the Royal Forest- Jon and Alanna had insisted that this was the best possible place for him. It was a sad day, and no one really spoke. No one was really ready to return to normal life, but gradually, they did.   
Kelsie thought that Alanna was the one who had said it best, "George is happier where he is now than he would have been if he were still here." It wasn't until a couple of months later that Kelsie fully understood this statement.  
  
  
Author's Note-  
And what could Alanna possibly have meant by this? The epilogue is coming soon, I swear! And I'm sorry that I had to kill George, ya'll-that wasn't quite the original plan, but like Alanna said, "George is happier where he is now than he would have been if he were still here." You'll see why in the epilogue. 


	15. Straight from the Heart

Heart's Desire  
Epilogue- Straight from the Heart  
  


Author's Note-   
Wow- the end. Finally!!!! I am so sorry it took this long to finish the story, but I was so busy! I'll have something new soon- more on Prophecy Fulfilled- The Six. If you haven't read it yet, please read it! It may be boring so far, but I think that it's actually pretty cool. Please read and review that if you like Heart's Desire or if you didn't like Heart's Desire.  
  
Disclaimer-  
I don't own Jonathan, Alanna, Raoul, or Gary. They belong to Tamora Pierce. I do own Matthew and Kelsie. S Club owns the song Straight From The Heart.  
  
_ I see my future there in you eyes  
Together and forever it's you and me  
You see, 'cause I won't be listening to what  
My friends have got to say  
I know they'll be there all the way  
  
You promised, and I know that you will always care  
Through good times, and through bad times  
You're always there  
  
Hold me now don't ever let it go  
I'm in love with you but you already know  
I want this love to last and be forever  
If you believe and you can only see  
That making love to me  
Would make your life complete  
Hold me tight and say you'll leave me never  
Straight from the heart you've changed my life  
Forever, forever more  
  
I dream of waking up in your arms  
And watch the sun bring in the day  
You see, what I can imagine,  
I am sure we can achieve  
Which means never giving up on this dream  
  
You comfort and you guide me  
When skies are grey  
And I feel you and I  
Need you just say you'll stay  
  
Hold me now don't ever let it go  
I'm in love with you but you already know  
I want this love to last and be forever  
If you believe and you can only see  
That making love to me  
Would make your life complete  
Hold me tight and say you'll leave me never  
Straight from the heart you've changed my life  
Forever, forever more  
  
You promised, and I know that you will always care  
Through good times, and through bad times  
You're always there  
  
Hold me now don't ever let it go  
I'm in love with you but you already know  
I want this love to last and be forever  
If you believe and you can only see  
That making love to me  
Would make your life complete  
Hold me tight and say you'll leave me never  
Straight from the heart you've changed my life  
Forever  
Straight from the heart you've changed my life   
Forever_  
  
  
It was the perfect end. Kelsie had never seen anything that was quite so beautiful. Flowers were everywhere, and they were all arranged in a way that made them the most beautiful that they could possibly see. Everyone was happy, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was perhaps the sunniest day Tortall had ever seen, but even the sun's brightness didn't compare to the bright smiles on Alanna and Jonathan's faces. Kelsie no longer regretted anything that she had done since coming to the palace- well, she regretted what had happened to George, but that had in no way been her fault and she no longer felt guilty about it. In fact, she was glad that she had been able to help save Jon. It was the best thing that she had ever done in her life. Kelsie wondered what George would think if he were here right now. He would be happy for Jon and Alanna, even though it would have probably hurt his feelings. He really had loved Alanna so much. Maybe Alanna was right after all. George was happier where he was now. Kelsie supposed it was better that George had died for the two people who meant everything in the world to him. He probably would have lost the thing he loved most anyway, and today only proved it.  
The temple had never been so crowded, and Kelsie had never seen so many people dressed up and gathered for one occasion, even if it was the marriage of the King. Kelsie looked around and saw quite a few familiar faces. Matthew was seated next to her, and on his other side was Thayet. She had returned from setting up her school for the underprivileged to attend Jon and Alanna's wedding. In the front were Gary and Raoul. They were Jon's best men- he hadn't been able to chose one over the other, so he had chosen both. Kelsie smiled brightly. It was the most beautiful ceremony that she had ever seen, and to think that it may never have happened if it hadn't been for her.  
Kelsie had spoken to both Alanna and Jonathan the night before, and both had told her how much they appreciated the help she had given him. They confided in her that if she and Matthew hadn't given them that extra little push, they may have lost each other forever. Jonathan had gone so far as to say that Kelsie's plan wa sthe nicest thing that anyone had ever done for them.  
Once the ceremony had ended and Alanna and Jonathan were legally married, there was a party for the King, the new Queen, and their close friends. They didn't want to be surrounded by the rest of the kingdom. The wedding was the end of a big week for the group of friends. It had come during the Midwinter Festival, which was already a busy time of year anyway, but on top of that, the day before had been Kelsie's seventeenth birthday, and three days earlier had been Matthew's Ordeal of Knighthood.  
The party was a great ball. At the very beginning, Jonathan and Alanna opened it with a dance- their first as King and Queen of Tortall. After that, Kelsie danced with Matthew. The night was cool but not bitterly cold, and Matthew and Kelsie went out into the garden. "Kelsie of Tirragen, I'm in love with you. Will you marry me?"  
  
  
Author's Note-  
THE END!!!!!!! Finally, I thought it would never be done! I know, the end doesn't really tell you what happens, but hey, Alanna and Jon got married, that's all you need to know. If you ask politely, I might just write another story and tell you what happens to Kelsie and Matthew. I think you guys probably already figured it out, though. I'm leaving it like this so that you guys can create your own ending. If you want, Kelsie can say no, or Kelsie can say yes, or whatever. Thanks to everyone who stuck with this from the beginning- I owe you guys! Reviews are appreciated- if you guys didn't like it, I won't write more, I'll go back to Harry Potter. Luv ya! 


End file.
